A Whisper in the Night
by IncessantOblivion
Summary: Sakura never thought she'd see Sasuke again, but as fate would have it their missions collide and she finds her hope as been renewed...but will she be able to save Sasuke from himself in the midst of plans of war?
1. First Encounter

**A/N: This was originally going to be a oneshot, but I saw there was potential for a full-fledged story. Like I've said many times before, I really can't get enough of this pairing! **

**It is set five years after Sasuke left Konoha. I am writing as though most of the events in Shippuden did not happen, if any. I actually haven't watched any of Shippuden so I am not going to write about something I don't really know about. I might refer to some events that happened around that time, I don't know, but nothing to do with Sasuke actions. **

**Enjoy! **

**First Encounter**

_Don't stray, don't ever go away _

_I should be much to smart for this_

_You know it gets the better of me_

_Sometimes, when you and I collide _

_I fall into an ocean of you, pull me out in time_

_Don't let me drown, let me down_

_I say it's all because of you_

_And here I go, losing my control_

_I'm practicing your name so I can say it to your face_

_It doesn't seem right to look you in the eye_

_Let all the things you mean to me_

_Come tumbling out my mouth_

_Indeed it's time to tell you why_

_I say it's infinitely true_

_Say you'll stay, don't come and go_

_Like you do_

_Sway my way, yeah I need to know_

_All about you_

_And there's no cure, there's no way to be sure_

_Why everything's turned inside out_

_Instilling so much doubt_

_It makes me so tired - I feel so uninspired_

_My head is battling with my heart_

_My logic has been torn apart_

_And now it all turns sour_

_Come sweeten every afternoon_

_Say you'll stay, don't come and go_

_Like you do_

_Sway my way, yeah I need to know _

_All about you_

_It's all because of you_

_It's all because of you_

_It's all because of you _

**-**_** "Sway"**_**, Bic Runga **

So long she had thought about him. So long had she wondered, wanted, wished. So long she had told herself she'd never see him again. So long she had told herself he was gone forever.

So long his face had haunted her memories. So long his words had haunted her dreams. So long his absence had grated on her existence. So long she had tried to ignore that absence of him in her life.

Too damn long.

Five years was a long time, wasn't it? A long enough time to change, to grow up, to become strong. Long enough to get over him.

But was she over him? Was she really? She'd told herself time and time again that she'd moved on, but the fact that she had to continually tell herself that proved the opposite, didn't it.

She thought as long as she went about business as usual it wouldn't matter. She'd never see him again, right?

And yet here he was, standing before her now. The gentle breeze moved through his raven locks, tousling his clothes. Two sleek katana were in his hands, each coated in liquid crimson. His eyes swirled red - death for those who dared oppose him. His chest moved up and down. He was breathing. He was alive. He was _there_.

"Sasuke…" she finally found her voice, though it was only a mere ghost of a whisper. Could he even hear her?

A smirk grace features far too close to perfection, as they'd always been. "Haruno."

Pain stabbed at her chest before she could remind herself that he didn't matter, that what he said didn't matter. _Haruno_. So he did not want to recognize that they'd once been on closer terms than a mere distant surname.

Predictable.

Still, that did not lessen the aching discomfort of his deliberate distance.

"Did you…kill that man?" Again with the whisper. Why could she not speak properly? She had been waiting for this moment for _five years_, whether she consciously acknowledged it or not. She had been waiting for the chance to see him again and prove to him that she could be strong too. But now she could barely speak. This was all turning out wrong.

"Obviously."

Sasuke did not seem at all affected by the sight of her after so many years. It was as though he wasn't really there, like he was detached from his own body. But that didn't make sense. Nothing made sense.

Sakura silently watched as Sasuke walked over to the doorpost and wiped his each of his katana against it, cleansing them of the blood that stained them. The metal screeched against the wood, causing Sakura to wince at the sound. It was like scratching nails on a blackboard.

"Why?" Why had Sasuke killed him? And why could she still not _speak_? Who knew when she'd have the chance to see him again, if ever?

Sasuke sheathed his katana in one fluid motion and turned to her. His eyes were black. "I was sent to kill him just as you were sent to heal him."

How had he known she was there to heal him? Did it really matter?

"Orochimaru?" It was a guess. She didn't even know if he was still with Orochimaru at all. She didn't know if his body had been taken over by the snake. She didn't know if he'd killed Itachi. She didn't know anything about him at all.

The Sasuke that stood before her was merely a shell of the one she'd known when she was twelve. His physical features, though matured, were the only thing she could recognize. His voice was deeper, his manner colder, his aura darker.

Sakura made out another smirk in the intruding moonlight. "My target had become a thorn in Orochimaru's side, one I was sent to eliminate."

Sakura swallowed her apprehension and pressed on, desperate not to waste this moment regardless of how terrified she was. She was never supposed to be afraid of this man. This was wrong. "What is happening with you, Sasuke?" Finally she did not whisper. Her confidence grew with the volume of her voice. "Are you still with Orochimaru? Have you killed Itachi? Why haven't you come back to us?" Her voice nearly broke as she spoke the last sentence and she cursed her weakness for asking that needy question at all, but she refused to break down in front of him. She was a strong kunoichi now. She was no longer the weakling he'd once known. He wasn't the only one who had changed.

Sasuke disappeared before her eyes only to reappear behind her, standing far too close for her to be at ease. _How fast he moves now_. Her spine straightened, tensed, ready for action, for defence. This Sasuke, this one she did not know, could hurt her, could attack. This was so wrong.

"Why should I tell _you_ anything?" he whispered in her ear with menace. "You will only return to Konoha and tell Naruto of my words." He chuckled softly. She could not move. "That is if I decide to let you live."

Sakura swirled around, kunai out, but Sasuke was gone. She twirled around again to see him leaning casually against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Too slow," he taunted softly, attempting to bait her into action, into a mistake, into _something_.

Sakura shook her head. He would never get it, would he? The bond that threaded Team 7 together would never be broken regardless of the rift between them. "I don't want to hurt you, Sasuke."

The smirk disappeared off Sasuke's handsome face and his gaze was cold once more. "Why not?" It was more of an order than a question. "After walking out on you, after you confessed your undying love and I left you unconscious on stone bench. Do you not want to hurt me as I have hurt you, _Sakura_?"

Sakura flinched at the sound of her name on his lips. Even after so many years it did not sound any different to her. Unwarranted memories came back to her. Memories of their Team 7 days. Good memories.

But that he had even mentioned that incident – one that was branded so permanently into her being - showed her that his memories of her, of them, were not buried as deep as he'd like her to think.

She smiled, taking Sasuke by surprise. He was expecting her to loath him, she figured. He was expecting her to want revenge. But she didn't. She was different than him. She had been raised in love and stability. All Sasuke understood was revenge. It was the legacy left to him by the only blood family he'd ever known. It _drove_ him. It was his life. It was not hers. And she could not find it in herself to hate him. That would make things too easy - for him. He knew how to deal with hate. Did he know how to deal with love?

She laughed softly. "Will you never understand, Sasuke? Life is not all about revenge and hate and darkness and if you believe it is, then what is separating you from him, hm? What is separating you from Itachi?"

Before she could blink Sasuke had slammed her up against a wall with his hand around her throat, a katana positioned dangerously close to her stomach. His eyes were swirling red with uninhibited rage.

She should have been scared. She should have been terrified. But all she felt was hope. She'd prefer his anger over his disinterest any day.

"Do not _ever_ compare me to him," he ground out through clenched teeth. The katana pinched the tender skin of her stomach.

Sakura knew she should feel anger, fear, or sadness, but all she could find was pity. "I wouldn't if you weren't like him. You have become just what he wanted you to become. How does it feel to be bested by him once again, Sasuke?"

She knew her words were dangerous, but if she did not say them, who would? Was there anyone else who cared enough?

His hand tightened around her throat, slowly cutting off her air supply. The katana pierced her stomach, just beneath the first layer of skin. She barely felt the sting over the pressure in her chest. That pain was much worse.

"You know not what you say."

Sakura gasped for air. "Oh, but I do. I know too well." She raised her eyes to his, forcing him to acknowledge her words, her feelings. "I _know_ you, Sasuke. You cannot hide from me."

Sasuke threw her over the other side of the room, causing the wall she crashed into to crack under the sheer force of it. Her head swam.

He stood over her, but his presence was different. Controlled.

Sakura leaned her weight against the damaged wall as she attempted to stand up and face Sasuke, eye to eye. She would show him she was not a weakling anymore. "We won't give up on you, Sasuke."

There had been a time when she had not wanted to think about him anymore. There had been a time when she had not wanted to hear his name. But now that she'd seen him she could not find anger or hatred. She wanted to be angry, but as she faced those obsidian eyes she saw the hidden pain in them and found she couldn't. Would she have done things differently were she in his position? Was what he'd done really so unusual? Did it even matter?

She wanted to prove to him more than ever that unconditional love still existed. She did not know if she still loved him like she used to – a love full of infatuation and fantasy - but she did know she at least loved him like a friend, like family, and _that_ love would never fade no matter how horribly he treated her.

"You should. I am not coming back." His voice was cold, icy. Emotionless. It broke her heart.

But his words meant as a deterrent only strengthened her resolve. "Naruto and I will look for you and we won't stop until you come back, whether you want to or not."

"Big words. I doubt you could follow through." His tone was condescending and it irked her. He obviously didn't think much of her abilities. Not that she could really blame him. The last time he'd seen her she'd been pathetic.

But she would not let him win. "But we would try. Love does not give up."

Sakura's heartbeat quickened as Sasuke approached her. When he was about one foot away from her he leaned in, placing a hand on either side of her head, until his lips were at her ear. His proximity unsettled her and her breath started exiting her lips more quickly than she would've liked him to see.

"And do you still _love_ me, _Sakura_?"

Sakura shut her eyes briefly and focused on the matter at hand rather than his proximity. She knew he was just trying to distract her. "I said I would love you always and I meant it, though I think we're thinking of different sorts of love at the moment."

He was not fazed. Her breath hitched as one of his hands trained down her arm. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth as the feather-light touched caused rivets of heat to course through her body.

_So much for being over him…_

Sasuke had always had this affect on her, even when they were twelve. But now she was seventeen and both their bodies had matured in more ways that one.

"Is that so?"

_He's doing it on purpose; he's doing it on purpose. Don't let him win!_ She repeated the mantra religiously, hoping it would have some effect.

"Yes."

His lips briefly touched her ear, causing a shock wave to travel down her spine, before he pushed himself back.

It seemed that though _she _may be over Sasuke, her _body_ wasn't.

_Damn it._

She looked at him levelly, giving nothing away in her gaze. She'd long learned to control her emotions when she needed to. "So are you going to let me live, Sasuke?" She honestly did not know what he was going to do. She was placing her life in his hands…and she was curious to see what he'd do with it.

Sasuke stared at her for a few seconds before unsheathing a katana and holding it up to her throat.

"Tell me, should I?"

For some strange reason Sakura could not fear him, even though she could feel the cold metal of the katana pressed against her jugular and knew without a doubt that he was fully capable of slicing it without so much as a second thought. "I do not know. It is up to you…Sasuke…" she whispered his name, unleashing every emotion she had been controlling. In that one word she put everything. And by the flicker in his eyes she knew that he knew she'd been sincere in her feelings.

After a few intense seconds filled with uncertainty and acceptance, Sakura felt the cold steel being removed from her neck. Her chest flooded with warmth. He hadn't killed her. That was something.

"Are you sure? If you let me go I'll just return to Naruto and we'll search for you and bring you back."

Sasuke sheathed his katana once again and regarded her coolly. "_If_ you can find me," he challenged coldly before his hand came down on her neck and her vision turned into darkness.

000

Sasuke stared down at Sakura's motionless body and wondered what he was supposed to feel upon seeing her again. She had changed. He could tell by the way she spoke to him. She was confident and she was controlled. She only allowed emotions to show when she wanted them to. That was…different. The Sakura he'd once known was so overtly emotional as to be a severe annoyance

And he wouldn't even get started on her obvious physical changes as her body had matured into adulthood.

But it didn't matter. He had randomly wondered now and then over the years of separation how he'd react if he ever saw any of his former team mates again, and now that question had been answered.

He felt nothing.


	2. Morning After

**A/N: Finally the second chapter! It took me a long time to find inspiration and I kept getting caught up in all this other anime and manga. Sorry to whoever was waiting for it! The chapters should be coming in faster progression now! Enjoy! **

**Morning After**

_Wake me up from this dream _

_So I can dive into reality_

_But please don't go, don't make me scream_

_I'm already hoarse from crying over you_

**_- Anonymous_**

Sakura awoke to a pounding headache, a sharp pain in her abdomen, and a really sore throat.

…_the hell?_

And then she remembered.

_Sasuke!_

She sat up with a jolt and winced at the pain that shot through her body. No surprise there. He'd cut her stomach, shallow though it may be, almost choked her, thrown her against a wall and knocked her out.

_He's changed._

**He almost tried to kill you. Yeah, I think he's changed.**

_Thank you, oh Sarcastic One, I noticed that!_

But she'd think about Sasuke's changes _after_ she and Naruto had found him again, and they _would_ find him.

"Don't move a muscle!"

_Huh?_

Sakura looked up to find an elderly woman poking a pitchfork in her face.

"I'm sorry, what seems to be the problem?" Tsunade had taught her great negotiating skills. She'd get herself out of this one without hurting the poor lady no problems.

The old lady scowled in equal parts disbelief and fury. "What seems to be the problem? My husband is_ dead_! That's the problem!"

_Oh, I forgot about that._

"I didn't kill him," Sakura insisted.

"Of_ course_ you didn't, even though you're lying not two meters from his dead body with injuries of your own!"

Why did this lady have to be so sarcastic? _My head hurts enough!_

"Listen to me for a minute. I was sent from Konoha to heal your husband but when I got here he was already dead. The shinobi that killed him fought with me, but he won and left me unconscious. I did not kill him, I swear on my Konoha headband." She pointed to the headband, just in case the old woman was farsighted.

"How do I know it's not a fake?"

_This lady has serious trust issues! _

**Well, her husband did just die and all.**

_Again, thank you for pointing out the obvious!_

Sakura decided to appeal to the woman's logic. Surely someone who could access liberal amounts of sarcasm was mentally present enough to access basic logic as well.

"I cannot prove to you that it is real, but if I did come to assassinate your husband and we did get into a fight, do you think that he would be able to throw me against the wall with such power, especially in his weakened state?" she reasoned, pointing to the cracked and partially indented wall behind her. "And if you're thinking that I'm the one who was sent to kill him and the medic won, do you think a medic from Konoha would just knock the assassin unconscious without taking them in for questioning? No, I _am_ the medic nin you sent for."

The old lady stared at her for a few seconds. "You're from Konoha?"

Sakura smiled. She was coming around. "Not only am I from Konoha, I was part of their ANBU," she ignored the stiffness of her muscles in order to point to the tattoo on her left shoulder, "_and_ I am the Hokage's apprentice. You can ask her yourself!"

The old lady finally relieved her defensive position and raised her pitchfork away from Sakura's face. "I believe you, I suppose. But…you are so young to have been sent to heal my husband!"

Sakura smiled and shrugged. "The assassin sent to kill him looked about my age." There was no way she was going to say that she knew said assassin or that she'd refused to fight him back. Not even a perfectly rational old woman could understand that warped logic, if it was even logic at all. Sakura was of the belief that emotion and logic rarely coincided.

The old lady shut her eyes and sighed, a sound borne of deep sadness and acceptance. "I can't believe he's gone, after all these years."

Sakura swallowed deeply, trying to contain the annoying persistent feelings of guilt that crept up her throat. "I'm so sorry I didn't arrive earlier." If she had maybe she could have convinced Sasuke to leave the man alone. And if he'd refused, she would have fought him then. It didn't matter how much Sasuke meant to her, she would never let innocents get hurt.

The old lady shook her head. "No, it was not your fault and I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you. You look like you're in pain."

Sakura smiled reassuringly and started to heal herself by internally utilising her chakra. She didn't even have to move. "No, it's okay. You would have been a fool if you just trusted me straight away."

"I told him this would happen" the old lady muttered to herself.

Sakura looked up. "Pardon?"

The old lady shook her head. "I told Goshinbu that something bad would happen if he continued in what he was doing."

"May I ask what he was doing that was so bad?" When the old lady looked at her in mistrust, she continued. "We will have to investigate his death because he was killed by a shinobi from the forbidden nation, Sound."

The old lady gasped. "The _Sound_? Oh, Goshi, _what_ did you get yourself into?"

"You didn't know?"

The old lady shook her head and sat beside Sakura on the ground. "My husband is…was a retired weapons dealer. He had a license and in his younger days he dealt weapons to Konoha, especially to the ANBU. He retired as soon as all our kids moved on and we had a decent amount of money to build our future on. We were happy. Then one day we were robbed. All our savings were gone. Our kids offered to help us, and I begged him to allow them, but my husband was a proud man. All his life he'd made it on his own, accepted no help from anyone. So he said he was going back in business." She sighed in sad reminiscence before Sakura urged with a "please, continue."

"He was too old to go back into the big-time dealing. All the fierce competition was too much stress and there were new ways to do things, ways he was not familiar with. His time was over. So he went into the underground. People recognized his name and remembered that he was a fair and just businessman and sought out his dealings. Goshi found this client, a man called Sally. I assume that was not his real name, but it was the only name I was told. Goshi never spoke much about his work, but he started getting more and more recluse as the weeks went on. I knew something was wrong. One night I confronted him about it and he told me that his client was asking for more and more weapons - illegal weapons. I asked him what these weapons were for but he just shook his head and refused to answer." She paused.

"And then…?" Sakura prodded.

"Then he said he wanted to get out, but Sally said that if he got out he'd go after his family one by one until he gave him the weapons he wanted anyway. It was at that point he started to get sick."

"And now the Sound have sent an assassin to silence him, and succeeded."

The old lady nodded and put her face in her hands as the tears started to fall. "What will I tell the children?"

Sakura's heart reached out to this woman, even though it was slowly breaking. Sasuke had killed this innocent man. _Her_ Sasuke.

_No, he's not my Sasuke anymore. He's different._ But hell, she was going to do whatever it took to get _her_ Sasuke back, no matter how long it took. She had to save him from himself before he passed the point of no return…and she sensed he was dangerously close to going over.

000

Uchiha Sasuke activated his Sharingan and scanned the expanse of land before him. Another worthless assassination behind him. Orochimaru had been sending him on more and more of these useless missions lately and every time he left that prick Kabuto smiled at him in a way that made him want to rip his head of his neck even more than he usually did. Something was going on that he didn't know about and there was no way he would find out about it if he kept on having to go away on these petty errands.

The last assassination had been an old man. Correction - a _sick,_ old man. That he, Uchiha Sasuke, had been sent to kill a sick, old man was insulting to the utmost degree. And not only had he been reduced to killing an invalid, he had encountered Haruno Sakura. That had been…unexpected, to say the least. And she hadn't even tried to apprehend him for his assassination. She'd just stood there while he'd threatened to take her life and spouted some asinine nonsense about still loving him and never giving up on him and more worthless rubbish he didn't care about or care to think about. She was still annoying.

Stronger, yes. He'd been…startled at her mention of his brother. _No one _mentioned his pathetic excuse for a brother and _no one _compared him to his brother. But _she_ had, not fearing his reaction. And she'd taken his katana against her vulnerable stomach, his hand around her throat, and the force of impact against the wall he'd thrown her against. The Haruno Sakura he'd once known would have crumpled in a ball and sobbed…or fainted.

But it didn't matter how much stronger she'd become physically. If she still wasn't willing to fight an enemy because she had once loved them, she was weak. What was the point training if she could not even bring herself to take his life? She was still worthless, just as worthless as all these missions he'd been sent on.

But he'd find what that snake was hiding from him, no matter what he had to do.

000

Sakura stared at the blank piece of paper before her. She'd arrived back in Konoha that afternoon and now she was faced with the requirement to compile a mission report for Tsunade.

She_ definitely_ had to tell her that her patient had been killed by the Sound. She_ definitely_ had to tell her what the old lady had said about him. And she_ definitely_ had to leave out any mention of Uchiha Sasuke. There was no telling how Tsunade would react to that bit of new. Sakura just couldn't risk the wrong one.

So now she had to make up a damn good story.

Fortunately, a sudden burst of inspiration hit her like one of Kakashi-sensei's chidori's and she wrote nonstop for the next half hour. When she finished she grinned at her work.

_Who knew I could be such an exceptional liar!_

The fictionalised report insinuated that she'd arrived just as the perpetrator was fleeing and she'd only seen a glimpse of his Sound headband in the moonlight before he'd disappeared before her eyes in a puff of transportation smoke. She'd chosen not to chase him in order to try to save Goshinbu's life, but alas, it had been too late for him even though she'd worked throughout the night and subsequently collapsed in exhaustion. When she awoke the next morning, the old lady had a pitchfork in her face and the truth prevailed from there on out.

Sakura yawned as she walked out her front door and towards the Hokage's tower. She was tired, but she couldn't sleep. Every time she shut her eyes she saw Sasuke, saw their encounter replayed. She'd _seen _him. She'd _spoken_ to him. But no matter how often she told herself this, her mind didn't seem to be able to grasp this concept.

"I see you're back, Forehead."

Having sensed her approaching chakra signature, Sakura was not at all surprised at Ino's sudden appearance and smiled easily. "I was only gone one night, Pig. Don't tell me you missed me that much!"

Ino snorted. "Please! I just wanted you to get back so I could brag about the dish I hooked up with last night!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Seeing as you were probably drunk at the time, he probably isn't as much of a 'dish' as you think he is."

Ino shrugged. "Like you would know, Forehead. When was the last time you even kissed a guy? Let me guess…a mission? Do you ever even kiss guys for own pleasure?"

This time Sakura shrugged. "I will when I find a guy worth kissing."

"You're a lost cause!" She groaned before abruptly changing topic as she was so often prone. "So, did you heal the old man?"

"Nah, he was dead," Sakura said as casually as she could muster so as to avoid stirring suspicion. The key with a lie, as Kakashi-sensei had always said, was to admit to as much shocking information as possible so people did not think there was more to it.

Ino raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Dead? Guess he was worse off than they thought, eh?"

"No, he'd been assassinated by a ninja from the Sound."

Ino's bright blue eyes widened in shock. "The _Sound_? That's serious! It's been a while since we've heard from them! They haven't been causing any disturbances for a while, have they?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, and that's never a good sign."

They walked in silence for a few seconds while Ino composed her next question. "When someone mentions the Sound, do you always…think of him?"

Sakura certainly didn't feel the need to mention that she'd seen _him_ last night. "Um…no, not always. Sometimes I forget he left to go to the Sound. Sometimes I think he just left, disappeared, and that's it."

Ino nodded in an attempt at understanding and moved on, conscious that Sasuke was a topic Sakura rarely felt comfortable talking about, for which Sakura was supremely grateful. Ino may be a Pig, but she sure wasn't stupid.

"What do you think would happen if we ever captured the Sound?" Ino asked.

Sakura shrugged and answered with a sense of discomfort pervading her tone. "I honestly don't know. I'm sure there'd be a whole bunch of political hoops to jump through."

Ino once again knew to change the subject. "Are you handing in your report to the Hokage?"

"Yeah, I don't know how she's going to react to this one."

Ino cringed. "Good luck with that."

000

"_WHAT? SOUND?_"

Sakura cringed. The Sound was always a touchy topic for Tsunade. She _hated_the Sound. Well, everyone did, not the least for robbing Konoha of their Third Hokage and their last Uchiha, but Tsunade _hated_ the Sound. Sakura figured it probably had a lot to do with the fact that it was headed by her former teammate, a kind of betrayal Sakura knew a lot about, which made her even more certain that she should not tell Tsunade of Sasuke's involvement. Tsunade was biased by her own past and failure to save her teammate, therefore there was a very high probability that she would give the order to apprehend and convict Sasuke without first giving him a chance at redemption. Sakura agreed that he should suffer the consequences for his choices, but should also be given a chance at rehabilitation. But he was dangerous – very dangerous – and Tsunade had the interests and safety of the whole village to look out for, so any action she took that Sakura did not agree with was not anything Sakura would ever hold against her. It just meant Tsunade didn't need to know…yet.

"Yes, the Sound."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and clutched her desk until it almost cracked under the pressure, which indicated she was fortunately still in control of her anger. Had she lost control, the whole building would be crashing down around them by now. "And this old lady, Goshinbu's wife, said that Goshinbu had been dealing weapons illegally."

"Yes, and seeing as Sound wanted to silence him I think it is safe to assume he was unconsciously dealing weapons to the Sound," Sakura replied.

Tsunade snorted, "Obviously. And through this Sally guy. What kind of queer name is that anyway?"

"An underground name?" Shizune guessed from her seat on the other side of the room.

"Obviously!" Tsunade snorted again without turning to acknowledge her long-time apprentice and aide. "And this Goshinbu guy reckoned they were asking for more and more weapons. It's almost as if they were planning for a war, or an attack at the very least! I don't like the sound of this at all."

Sakura spoke up, sensing her chance at getting what she wanted out of this would only appear now, before Tsunade had enough time to formulate plans of her own. "I would like to request myself and Naruto to investigate this matter."

Tsunade looked at her severely, suspicion evident. "And why is that?"

Sakura forced herself to remain calm under Tsunade's scrutiny. It wasn't like she wasn't used to it, after all.

_Just that this time it's because of Sasuke._

"I cannot help but feel responsible for Goshinbu's death. I had been taking my time in getting there because the medical reports I was previously sent showed that his condition wasn't fatal."

"Understood, but Sakura, you know better than to blame yourself for something like that. There was no way you could have known."

"I know, that's what his wife said too, but you know what I'm like and you didn't see her face, sensei! I _feel_ for her predicament! She has no one now, her children all live far away! And…and I think she trusts me. I don't want to send in just some random, probably insensitive shinobi that she doesn't recognize or know and will stampede over her feelings to get results. It's hard enough that she has to deal with her husband's death and what he'd been dealing with, but that too? And you know I have a knack for helping people."

Tsunade sighed. "You are far too sensitive to other people's emotions, Sakura. I suppose that's why you're such a damn good medic. And why Naruto?"

"If I am going to go on a prolonged mission, which this could potentially turn into, there is no one I'd rather take than Naruto. Naruto has the innate ability to make anyone feel at ease, just out of pure sincerity and he's a very skilled shinobi in his own right. You know that more than anyone."

Tsunade rubbed the bridge of her nose in a common sign of stress, "You make a convincing case as always, Sakura."

Sakura began to beam at the compliment, before Tsunade continued.

"That wasn't a compliment! It makes you manipulative and me suspicious, but the hell of it is you are usually right. So I'll _consider_ it. Just give me a day or two."

"Yes, sensei." Stinging from the criticism even knowing that she was indeed attempting to be manipulative, Sakura bowed respectfully and exited the room. Now all she had to do was tell Naruto about Sasuke.


	3. Plans Made

**A/N: Okay, just reiterating a few things - I don't follow the manga storyline past the point of Sasuke's departure. I'll add anything that I know happened and benefits the storyline beyond that point in time, but I haven't read anything other than Part 1 so I don't write much about anything past that. I just make up everything else so it my interpretation of Naruto and its characters makes sense. Having said this, hopefully the story should make more sense to any of those confused. Enjoy! **

**Plans Made**

_If I just wish hard enough_

_Will my desires come true?_

_If I just hope hard enough_

_Will I be able to find you?_

**_- Anonymous_**

"Orochimaru."

"Ah, I see you have arrived for our meeting, though I do believe you are a bit late."

"Do not presume you can hold me accountable."

"My apologies. I have sent Sasuke away, but he shall be returning shortly. These petty missions are nothing for him."

"You send him away now, but we cannot keep him in the dark forever. If you cannot trust his reaction, perhaps it is best that we not include him at all."

"Ah, yes, but we need him."

"So you say."

"It would not be prudent to underestimate him, especially in your case, Itachi-san."

"I never said I underestimated him, Orochimaru, I just don't care. However, we did not travel here to discuss my little brother."

"Of course not."

"I trust our plans are on schedule."

"Perfectly."

000

Sasuke stood silently on the branch of a sparsely leafed tree as he surveyed the house before him. It was a simple house, nothing extravagant; nothing that made it stand out among the rest of the houses nearby. Inside it was a simple family - a husband, a wife and a daughter - nothing that made it stand out among other families. And there was a target - the husband. He was just an ordinary husband who doted on his younger daughter and flirted with his young wife; nothing that made him stand out among other husbands.

And yet Sasuke been sent to kill him. Why?

He had no qualms with killing. As soon as he'd come to Oto he'd been quickly familiarized with the notion of it. How could he not when death was all around him? And he had no qualms with killing this man…but he wanted to know _why_ Orochimaru wanted him dead.

If Orochimaru had someone killed it was because they were either becoming a threat to his power base or he suspected they were going to leak information. If Orochimaru's reason for having this man killed was the latter, it was in Sasuke's best interest to find out what it was that Orochimaru didn't want to be revealed.

Well, there was no time like the present.

Sasuke dropped from the branch, landing silently on his feet, and stood in the shadows for a few moments, watching the family through the illuminated window. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen to the target's family when his life was forfeit. Did they have anywhere to go? How would they live? How would the wife raise a daughter by herself without the income her husband provided?

He couldn't help but feel a stab of apprehension at the thought of taking this man's life. If he took this man's life, what made him different to the person who had taken the lives of his entire clan? Would he not be destroying the lives of these innocent people if he took the target's life?

As soon as the thought entered his head, Sasuke forcibly pushed it out. He'd never given a damn before. Why did he think of it now?

"_...then what is separating you from him, hm? What is separating you from Itachi?"_

Sasuke narrowed his coal eyes as Sakura's words ricocheted through his thoughts. Would she never cease being impossibly annoying? It seemed that she could annoy him even when she wasn't anywhere in his vicinity. Maybe he should just kill her if he ever had the misfortune of running into her again. Or maybe she'd annoy him even in her death.

And why did the thought of ending her life bother him?

He removed that strange and unwelcome thought from his mind and focused on the task ahead. He would kill this man. It was the target's own fault for getting involved with Orochimaru in the first place. If he had really wanted to protect his family he'd have stayed far away from the snake. Anyone with half a brain would know that Orochimaru couldn't be trusted.

However, Sasuke patiently waited in the shadows until the target came outside. There was no need to expose his family to his death.

Eventually the target walked outside and into a building separate from the house, presumably a barn of some sort.

Sasuke calmly walked in behind him, keeping to the shadows, which wasn't hard to do on such a dark night. The target did not notice his presence at first and continued digging through hay for whatever strange reason.

Sasuke resisted the urge to groan in impatience and instead threw a shurikin within an inch of the target's head into the post beside him. The target whirled around, sake bottle in hand.

Sasuke looked at him levelly. It was obvious that the man possessed no talent as a shinobi. None whatsoever. He could sense the lack of active chakra in the man even without activating his Sharingan.

"Who…who are you?" the target asked shakily.

Before the man could draw another breath, Sasuke was before him with his hand around his throat. The target tried to pry his hands off and kick him as Sasuke effortlessly raised him into the air.

"Tell me what business you have with the Sound?" he ordered. He did not _ask_ for things.

"Wh-what?"

"What business did you have with Orochimaru?" Sasuke felt his irritation grow. He did not like repeating himself.

The target's eyes widened in terror. "What? Orochimaru? I don't know what you're talking about!" He gasped out.

Sasuke couldn't sense that the target was lying, but that was impossible. "It is pointless to deny that you had dealings with Orochimaru. He was the one who sent me here to kill you."

"Kill…_kill_ me? But…why? He said…"

"Orochimaru said?"

"No…no,_ not _Orochimaru. Sally."

Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow. "Sally?" Who the hell was Sally?

The target's gaze became defiant, but it did not inspire respect or pity in Sasuke anymore than begging would have. Men did this out of character when they sensed they were in their finally moments of life. They were either dignified or not.

"Why should I tell you anything? You're just going to kill me."

"Yes, I am and nothing is going to change that. But I could refrain from killing your family if you tell me what I want to know."

In all honesty, Sasuke had no intention of killing the target's family. He could never bring himself to do such a thing when he had experienced it himself, but there wasn't any reason the target needed to know that.

"No…no! Don't kill them!"

"Then I suggest you start talking."

"Okay, okay! Well, I honestly don't know anything about Orochimaru! I swear on my family's life! But this Sally guy…well, he had hired me to become a spy in Konoha."

Konoha? Now this was becoming interesting. "Continue."

"I was supposed to go in there and pretend I needed to hire out some shinobi for protection purposes or something like that. But that was just a cover story to get in. I was really supposed to observe Konoha's military forces, see what kind of condition they were in and how many were actually in the village. Stuff like that."

"Specify."

"Um, I was supposed to note how many shinobi they had around Konoha…if there was any regular pattern for them leaving and coming or if it just all depended on how many missions they were receiving. I don't think I was to be the only spy either."

"Do you know why you were hired to do this?"

"No…Sally never said. He said he was the one paying and he could tell me what he wanted."

"And you had no idea Sally was working for anyone?"

"No, no I didn't. He never told me about anything other than what I was supposed to do."

Sasuke could sense that this man was not lying, but there were still a few things that did not make sense. "Then do you have any idea why you are wanted dead?"

"No…I mean, yes. Maybe."

"Continue."

"Well, I figured if I was going to spy for something, it'd be planning for a war or something, because that's what I had done years and years ago when I was about twelve. I was small, you see, so no one expected me to be a spy. And I thought that I couldn't risk helping bring a war about. I mean, I don't…didn't want to raise my daughter in that sort of environment."

"So you quit."

"Yeah, I did. Sally wasn't happy. He said that if he found out that I talked about any of it he'd kill me. But I didn't talk, I swear!"

Sasuke almost rolled his eyes. If this guy had been smart he would have known that he would have been killed anyway, regardless of whether he'd complete his job or not. His refusing had only expedited the process. There was no way this Sally he spoke of would suffer the existence of a potential information leak, and especially not if he was working for Orochimaru.

And who was this Sally anyway? What business did he have with Orochimaru?

Sasuke didn't answer the target, instead closing his fist, crushing the man's neck. He died quickly, without sound, without pain. That was the best Sasuke could do for him without presenting his wife and child with a bloody or mangled corpse. All that would indicate the death would be the bruise marks around his neck.

And now he would return to Oto to try to figure out what Orochimaru was up to while being as subtle as possible. He would have to tread carefully for subtlety rarely worked around Orochimaru.

000

"So, Sakura, what did you want us for?" Naruto asked as he sat down on her couch.

"You said it was urgent," Kakashi added as he leaned against a wall.

Sakura bit her lip nervously. She didn't know how to say this…so she'd just have to fluke it.

"Well, what I'm about to tell you guys you must promise to never repeat, okay? I mean, I haven't even told Tsunade. You _cannot _tell_ anyone_!"

"Okay, Sakura!" Naruto replied. She knew he'd agree without compunction as he trusted her implicitly. He didn't need to ask why she wanted it kept secret, he just assumed her reasons where valid.

Kakashi on the other hand…

Her former sensei raised the only eyebrow of his Sakura could see as he opaquely regarded her. "Well, I suppose that's alright, depending on what this is about."

Sakura almost rolled her eyes. Figures Kakashi wouldn't give her a definite answer, but she'd be there all day if she tried to garner an explicit promise from him and she didn't have the option of not telling him because he was as much a part of this as she and Naruto. She'd just have to trust that he would do what he felt was right, which hopefully aligned with her actions.

"Well, it has to do with Sasuke."

Naruto immediately clammed up and looked down at his feet…not a reaction Sakura was expecting. The last thing anyone expected of Naruto was silence, especially when it came to Sasuke.

Kakashi didn't react at all, except to say, "Hm…well, I was expecting it to be something about him. Why else would you not tell Tsunade or the other members of Team 7 if it wasn't?"

"What happened, Sakura?" Naruto asked quietly before she could reply to Kakashi, still not looking at her.

Sakura steeled herself with a deep breath. "Well…I saw him."

Naruto's eyes shot up. She had his attention _now_.

"You _saw_ him? When?"

"He was the Sound shinobi that killed the patient I was sent to heal," Sakura said, having previously told them the cover story of her mission.

"Was he now?" Kakashi replied slowly. "Well, I suppose Orochimaru would send him on assassination missions like that every once in a while. Why waste talent?"

"Why are you telling us this, Sakura?" Naruto asked, ignoring Kakashi's cynicism and looking at her from the other side of the couch.

"I…I want us to look for him," Sakura replied, suddenly unsure of his enthusiasm to do the same.

Naruto clenched his jaw as Sakura looked up at Kakashi. "I know you probably won't be able to get away from your students, Kakashi-sensei. You have other responsibilities now…" He nodded and she looked back to Naruto. "But Naruto, we could go and look for him!"

Naruto stared intently at the floor for a few agonising seconds before lookeing up at her with his customary oversized grin. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He was in.

"Okay, Sakura! It's time we got that bastard back! It's been a while! I was just wondering how doing something potentially illegal this would affect my chances at becoming Hokage, but what kind of Hokage would forget about friends like that just for his own gain? And anyway, nothing's gonna stop _me_ from becoming Hokage!"

Sakura grinned. "Good to hear."

"So how are you planning to find him exactly?" Kakashi asked, breaking into their blind enthusiasm..

"Well, I told Tsunade that I wanted Naruto and I to find out what Orochimaru wants with all these weapons and I definitely plan on doing that, but I think that we can look for Sasuke at the same time. I mean, think about it. Sasuke's going to know about whatever it is that Orochimaru's planning, so if we find Sasuke, we find out what's going on."

"A logical plan, but what makes you think Sasuke will tell you anything, much less go with you?"

Sakura bit her lip in uncertainty. "Well, I don't know. It's just something I feel…it feels _right_. I can't explain it. When I was talking to Sasuke-"

Naruto leaped off the couch. "Wait, wait, wait! You're telling me you_ talked_ to him? Why didn't you mention this _before_?"

"I…uh…got distracted?"

Naruto flopped back down on the couch. "What_ever_."

Sakura smiled, knowing he was probably just upset that _he_ wasn't the one who'd gotten to talk to Sasuke first.

"Like I was saying, we talked. Sort of, anyway. He said he killed Goshinbu for Orochimaru. We sort of argued for a bit about what he's doing with his life now. I said he was becoming like Itachi and he tried to rough me up a bit, but didn't do anything serious."

Naruto stood up again, fists clenched, eyes blazing. "He _hurt_ you?"

"No more than I let him. Just sit down and listen, Naruto." When he complied (however begrudgingly), she continued. "I told him that we would search for him and he said it was pointless, but I decided then and there that I just couldn't give up on him, no matter how far gone he may be. Then he threatened to kill me. I said go for it, but he didn't. And that's when I knew that there was still something left in him - some of the old Sasuke - and we have to get it back, no matter what."

"I appreciate your sentiments, Sakura, but are you willing to risk the safety of the village just to get 'the old Sasuke' back?" Kakashi asked as his one visible eye seemed to pierce into her soul, as it always did. "If you find him, which is a near impossible task in and of itself, what if he refuses to help you? Not only would you have cost Konoha precious time in gathering important, potentially life-saving information, you would have alerted Orochimaru that Konoha is snooping around. You can't jeopardize the village's safety to get him back, Sakura. I want him back too, but I can't let you do that."

Sakura shook her head, refusing to let the tears in her eyes escape. "No, Kakashi-sensei. You don't understand. You weren't _there_. If you saw him, you'd know too. I love Konoha just as much as you do and I want to protect it just as much as you do. Don't you know that? Don't you know I'd never put the village in harm's way?" She stood up and walked over to Kakashi. "Trust me, Kakashi-sensei,_ please_. If all these years of friendship and comradeship have meant anything to you, please, _trust me_!"

Kakashi shut his eyes for a few seconds. He appeared serene outwardly, but Sakura knew he must be battling himself inwardly. She just hoped he'd see what she saw. Hope.

"I'll trust you, Sakura, only because I know you love this village as much as Naruto does. I don't think I even love the village as much as Naruto."

Sakura squealed and threw her arms around Kakashi. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I won't let you down!"

Kakashi chuckled as he patted Sakura's back. "You better not because there's no doubt Tsunade will find a way to blame everything on me."

Naruto jumped up. "Where's my hug, Sakura? I'm the one going with you!"

Sakura withdrew from Kakashi and smiled at him. "You can have your hug later, idiot. Right now we have to wait for Tsunade to let us go."

"You make it sound like it's inevitable." Kakashi said.

Sakura grinned at him. "That's because it is."

000

_One day later…_

"I've decided to let you go…on one condition."

Sakura's head was in full jeopardy of bursting with triumph that she barely noticed Tsunade's voice. "Yes?"

"You must assemble a team to go with you."

Then she swiftly brought back down to earth again. "In any other case I think that would be a good idea, but…"

Tsunade leaned forward on her hands. "But?"

"I think that if we had more than two people travelling together asking questions, it would raise suspicion. The way we have it now, Naruto and I could pretend we're married or something, trying to find a lost relative or whatever."

Tsunade sighed, obviously too inundated with other concerns to bother spending time arguing with her. Sakura new her stubborn reputation would come in handy one day.

"Well, if you won't accept this condition, you must accept another."

"Yes?" Sakura asked warily. She'd gotten her way with the first 'condition', but Tsunade wouldn't allow her to have her way with everything.

"You have three months."

Sakura's confidence plummeted. Was it even possible to find Sasuke in three months? But what other option did she have?

"Okay, that should be fine." She replied with a forced smile.

"Then you leave tomorrow."


	4. Say Your Goodbyes

**A/N: I don't actually know if Sakura's parents are dead or alive, so I'm going to make them alive for this story because it better suits my purposes. Sorry if I'm wrong, but it's not like I claim to follow the actual storyline all that closely anyway.**

**Because there's not going to be any Sasuke/Sakura romance for a few more chapters, I put some Hinata/Naruto romance in just to make myself feel better. But other than this chapter, I won't be focusing on other pairings all that much until much later on in the story, but don't worry, there will be **_**a lot**_ **of Sasuke/Sakura action to fill in the gaps! This IS what this story is about, after all!**

**So yeah, I make up my own stuff because I don't know much about Shippuden. If things don't make sense now, bear with me. It will all work out in the end, I promise. And please tell me if any of the characters are OOC (I can't stand that). Thanks!**

**Enjoy! **

**Say Your Goodbyes**

_I'll say farewell just this one time_

_Just to let you know how much I want you to be mine_

_So dry your tears and cut me some slack_

_You should know by now that I always come back_

**_- Anonymous_**

"So we'll meet at the gate at six thirty?"

Naruto groaned loudly. "But that's so early!"

"The earlier we start the more progress we'll make." Sakura chided, as if he were a five-year-old. Well, he sure did act like it sometimes.

"Fine, fine. Six thirty. You're such a slave driver!"

Sakura grinned. That was a compliment to her. "Well, someone has to get the job done!"

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto yawned and put his hands behind his head in his trademark casual style. Some habits never changed. "I'm going to Ichiraku then going to sleep. Wanna come?" he paused. "Uh…to Ichiraku, I meant!"

Sakura laughed. She was in a strangely good mood. Usually she would have hit him for a comment like that. "I'm going to say goodbye to Ino-pig and some others. It is going to be three months, you know."

"Yeah, I should probably say goodbye to Kakashi-sensei and Lee. Neji will probably be fighting with Lee, so I'll say goodbye to him too. Oh, and maybe Hinata too, if I'm not too tired that is," Naruto mused.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and turned to Naruto, who immediately cowered. "No, you _will_ say goodbye to Hinata, whether I have to beat your ass into doing it or not!"

"Okay, okay! I will! I'll go there now!"

"Ha." Sakura wiped her hands together with a grin as she watched Naruto scramble off. That was the way to get things done! Now if only Naruto would stop being such a thick-headed, numb-skulled knuckle-head he might realize he really did like Hinata. Why else would he have gotten so unexplainably angry when he'd seen Kiba hugging her the other day?

Sakura made her way to the flower shop Ino worked in, taking note of the bustling village around her. She was used to going on long-term missions, but she hadn't been on one for a while. There had been no need as things had been relatively quiet lately. As Tsunade would say, that was never a good sign. She said you could always tell when Orochimaru was up to something because you didn't hear anything from him for a while, that he got _bored_ if something bad wasn't happening.

_Sick bastard._

Her hate for the snake-man had intensified ten-fold after what he did to Sasuke. She almost hated him as much as she hated Itachi, who'd started the whole thing. Maybe Sasuke wouldn't be so messed up if Itachi hadn't been such a psycho.

Sure, she could get the desire to test your abilities. But one thing she'd never get is why someone would want to test them on their own_ kinsmen_. Couldn't he have just gone off and killed a bunch of missing S-Class ninja instead? But _no_, that wasn't sick enough for that twisted SOB.

Sakura shook her head to rid herself of thoughts of Itachi. She was sure that when they found Sasuke, _if_ they found Sasuke, she'd have to deal with those issues enough without having to think of them now. If she wanted Sasuke back in her life, which she did, she'd have to take all his hatred with him. If that was the price, so be it. She was willing to pay.

000

Naruto gulped as he stood outside of the Hyuga residence. He had been seriously hoping that Hinata would be anywhere other than there, but of course she had to be home where Hiashi-sama, possibly the scariest man alive, lived.

And it wasn't just bad enough that Hiashi-sama lived there, he was her_ father_! Weren't fathers usually protective over daughters or whatever? He didn't really know all that much about family stuff, but that was kind of the vibe he'd gotten from Sakura. And that was just average fathers, like Sakura's. But this was Hiashi-sama, the scariest man alive! Orochimaru was nothing compared to him (because Orochimaru was more sick-in-the-head than scary)!

But then if he didn't risk the possible wrath of Hiashi-sama, he'd get the definite wrath of Sakura, who was probably the scariest girl alive (she was the scariest _girl_, that granny Hokage was the scariest _woman_, but Sakura could hit just as hard). It was a hard decision.

Naruto and been standing at the gate for a while, pondering his options, when a smooth, cold voice startled him out of his reverie.

"Are you just going to stand there staring at the gate, or are you actually planning to do something?"

Naruto looked up into the unblinking, white eyes of Hyuga Neji (and hated the fact that, yes, he still had to look up at the Hyuga genius). He'd never really liked the guy. Sure, he was heaps better now that he'd gotten over that whole stupid fate nonsense in the chunin exams and Naruto knew Neji respected him now, but he still acted like he was all superior, like he was too cool for school. Well, at least he got some consolation from the fact that he'd beaten Neji's ass before. Yeah, that was enough to keep him civil.

"I was planning to visit Hinata." He'd decided that his best chances were with Hiashi. He could never trust Sakura and her volatile emotions. No doubt she'd later check up with Hinata to see if he'd kept his word. What was with that anyway? Women!

Neji raised a perfectly formed eyebrow. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, she's not at the gate."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. Stupid Neji with his stupid Byakuugan and his stupid superiority. "I _know_, I was just wondering how to get in."

Neji walked over to the gate and pushed it open. He didn't say a thing, just looked at Naruto with an amused, condescending gaze.

Naruto gritted his teeth and walked past Neji. "Thank you."

"_Give credit where credit is due, but owe no man anything." _Isn't that what Kakashi had once said? Or was that _"Give credit where credit is due, and beat him into the ground so he won't remember it the next day." _

_Who cares!_

Neji and Naruto walked up to the front door, but before Naruto could open it, Neji slammed his hand down on his, blocking Naruto's path.

"What are your intentions with Hinata?"

Naruto looked up at Neji to find his Byakuugan activated. _What the hell? _He had to get the third degree from Neji too! Just to say goodbye? This so was not fair!

"I'm just calling in to say goodbye! I'm going on a mission for three months and Sakura said Hinata would appreciate it if I said goodbye." Naruto almost smiled at his cleverness. He'd affectively (and subtlety, he thought) passed the scrutiny onto Sakura. And people said he didn't have a brain (or didn't use it - same thing)!

Neji's intense gaze was unrelenting. "And that's all?"

"Yes! Geez! And I thought you hated her!" He was getting far too tired of this rubbish!

Neji clenched his hand on the door door. "Do not presume to know my relationship with my cousin."

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry, already! Can I go in now?"

Neji smoothly opened the door. "Follow me."

Naruto thought that might be a good idea seeing as he didn't know where the hell to go. This house was seriously huge! They could probably fit, say, twenty of his apartments in here!

He followed Neji through a maze of corridors until they finally came upon a set of double doors.

Naruto frowned in confusion. _Is Hinata in here?__ Double doors seemed a bit much._

Neji opened the heavy doors to reveal what looked like a dining room…a dining room full of people. Eating dinner.

_Ah, damn it! _Figures he had to show up during their dinner time, even though it was only five in the afternoon! People were always testy around dinner time. At least he was. He didn't like it when people distracted him from eating ramen. And the Hyugas were at least ten times more uptight that he was! They probably all had a ten foot pole up their ass! Well, except for Hinata, of course. She was different. But that Neji…well, Naruto had his suspicions.

"And who do we have here?" Hiashi's commanding voice cut across the silence.

" Uzumaki Naruto, sir!" He figured it'd be a good idea to add the 'sir' onto the end. Snobby people liked that. He didn't really give a damn about what they thought of him, though. One day he'd be Hokage and then _they'd_ have to respect _him_!

But until then, he just wanted to remain alive…or at least have all of his body parts intact. He liked everything where it was.

" Uzumaki Naruto, hm? And what brings you here, Naruto?"

Naruto resisted the urge to argue against Hiashi's condescending tone. So_ that's_ where Neji got it from! Talk about a bad influence!

"He's here to see Hinata." Neji spoke up.

And of course Neji said it in a way that made it sound like he wanted to marry her or something.

Naruto looked to the girl in question. She was blushing. Furiously. He'd seen her blush too many times to count. She blushed if a guy freaking touched her hand for two seconds! But for some reason, it seemed really cute at that moment…

Hiashi raised an elegant eyebrow. What was with these Hyugas and their perfectly formed eyebrows? It was totally unnatural!

"Is that so?"

Naruto looked around at all the faces with pale eyes staring at him expectantly. Except for Hinata, who was looking down at her lap fiddling with her napkin. "Um…yes. I…uh…I'm leaving on a long mission and I just wanted to say goodbye to Hinata."

Hiashi glared at Naruto.

_Now what?_

"Well, say your goodbyes to Hinata-_san_ and take your leave. We are in the middle of our dinner."

_Yeah, because I seriously didn't notice that. _

"Father!"

Everyone in attendance snapped their heads in the direction of the feminine, but surprisingly strong voice.

"Hinata?" Her father queried sternly.

Naruto's eyebrows rose dramatically. Not even the stoic Hyuga Neji could hide his surprise. Sure, Naruto had noticed after his return from his training with the Pervy Sage that she'd become a little more outspoken and didn't stutter as much…but standing up to Hiashi? This was a side of her he never knew existed…and admired greatly.

"Father, please, let me talk to him privately. Naruto is my friend. I won't take long." Hinata's composure was perfect, her voice confident. She looked Hiashi in the eyes and didn't back down.

Naruto was shocked…and strangely turned on.

_Where the hell did _that_ come from?_

But he still could not take his eyes off the delicate Hyuga heiress. Looking at her now, he realized she'd make a fine clan leader. But wait…was that good or bad?

_Why should I care anyway?_

After staring at Hinata for a few moments, Hiashi conceded with a small sigh. "Fine, but be quick." He looked back to Naruto. "And remember, Uzumaki, I can see through walls."

_What, does he think I'm some kind of rapist? _"Uh…yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Hinata walked up to him and took his hand, leading him out of the room. She didn't say a work (or let go of his hand) until they were a few rooms away from the dining room. They were in some sort of wide spacious area. He didn't know what it was called. He wasn't used to such finery. Just another stark reminder of the differences in their lives.

She let go of his hand and smiled at him. He immediately missed the contact, however fragile it was, but supposed her bright smile made up for some of the loss.

_What am I thinking?_

"Thank you for coming, Naruto" she said in a small voice. The blush was back.

How was it that she could stand up to her father, but could barely look him in the eye? It didn't make sense. He wasn't nearly as scary as her father!

Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, no problem, Hinata! Though I must admit your father can be kind of scary. It was amazing how you stood up to him like that!"

Hinata looked up at him and then looked down again. "Oh, well, it was nothing." She paused and looked up at him, her gaze staying there this time. "You know you're the first person who has ever come here to see me. Not even Kiba and Shino have come to see me here."

"Really?" Well, no wonder. He was probably the only one stupid enough…or the only one who had someone like Sakura threatening bodily harm if he didn't.

"Yeah. It…it really means a lot to me, Naruto." She smiled brightly, the brightest Naruto had ever seen her smile, and he swore his heart almost burst out of his chest at the sight.

Suddenly his mind went blank. "Um…" _Come on, think! You can think of something totally cool to say! This is Hinata after all!_ "No problem! Hey, I might even come back when I get back from this mission!"

She bit her lip. Naruto's attention was immediately drawn there. Why hadn't he ever noticed how soft and pink her lips were? Was it because he had always been distracted by her captivating eyes.

_What the hell am I thinking?_

"You'd really do that, Naruto?"

_What were we talking about? _All he could see were her lips moving…

"Uh…yeah! Sure!" What had he just said he'd do?

A sound escaped Hinata that suspiciously sounded like a squeal before she threw her arms around him.

_Uh…_

Now he couldn't think past the curves of her body that were pressed up against him. She sure was hiding _something_ under that frumpy jacket of hers!

She jumped out of his arms just as he was about to circle them around her.

_Damn, missed my opportunity._

She was blushed like he'd never seen her blush before. "I-I'm s-so sorry!" She squeaked.

"What for?" Now he was genuinely confused.

"For…for…uh…_you know_!" She made waving motions with her hands in an attempt to get him to understand.

_Geez, she's cute when she's all animated like this._

He grinned. "Oh…" He dragged out the word and his grin grew bigger. "You don't have to be embarrassed about that, Hinata! You can hug me any time you want! Just feel free to throw your arms around me when I'm in the middle of training, when I'm walking down the street…hell, even when I'm eating ramen!"

She looked up at him, a small smile of amusement on her face. "Even when you're eating ramen?"

He grinned. "Even when I'm eating ramen." It'd be a small sacrifice if he could feel those arms around him again.

_I should totally do this more often!_

Even facing Hiashi's wrath seemed worth it now.

When she'd finished giggling he spoke seriously. "I'm glad I came, Hinata."

The blush didn't go away, but she managed to smile at him. "I'm glad you came too, Naruto."

Naruto laughed and put his hands behind his head. "Who knows? Maybe I'll even buy you something while I'm away!" He said with a wink.

She looked as if she was going to pass out. "You…you'd _buy_ something for _me_?"

Naruto dropped his arms by his side and shrugged. "Sure, why not? Pretty girls deserve pretty things!"

"I…I…"

Hinata's faced immediately flamed up again. Naruto grinned wider. He was_ flirting_ with Hinata…and he liked it. He liked it a lot. Figures he had to go away to find Sasuke _now_. That bastard always did have the best timing.

Naruto opened his mouth to say more, but the door opened revealing a not-so-happy-looking Neji.

_Figures _he_ has to barge in just when it's getting good!_

"Naruto, I think you've had plenty of time to _say goodbye_. Hinata must return to dinner." Neji glared at Naruto, implications clear in those freakishly white eyes of his (those eyes only looked good on Hinata).

"Cousin, I can think for myself," Hinata addressed Neji sternly.

Naruto gaped at her. Who knew that under her shy, blushing demeanour lay a spitfire like _that_! She was becoming more and more intriguing by the second…and he had the sudden urge to discover what hid beneath all her layers (in the cleanest possible sense!).

Neji clenched his jaw as Hinata turned to Naruto. "But he is right, Naruto. I must return to my family."

Naruto could only stare. Just two seconds ago she could barely speak because she was blushing too hard, but now she was forming perfectly flowing sentences with a sexy, feminine voice.

_Wait, did I say _sexy?

Now it was his turn to blush. "Uh…okay."

_Smooth, Naruto, smooth._

She smiled at him and his breath caught in his throat. "I'll see you when you get back!"

Naruto managed to smile back. "Yeah, I'll see you in three months."

He found himself wishing that the next three months would seem more like three seconds.

000

"And where are you going, _Sa-ku-ra_?"

Sakura rolled her eyes at Ino's dramatics. "I'm going on a mission,_ I-no-pig_."

Ino flipped her long, blonde ponytail over her shoulder. "For how long?"

"Three months."

Ino looked up from her flower arrangement with wide eyes. "Three months? Well, aren't you the important one," she taunted. They had never really quite gotten over their rivalry, however friendly it may be now.

Sakura smirked triumphantly. "You could say that." She wished she could flip her hair over her shoulder too, but alas, her pink locks barely grazed her shoulders.

"Well, _I'm_ going on a mission soon," Ino retorted as she put the last flowers in her arrangement.

"Oh yeah?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ino smiled deviously. "_Yeah_, they _specifically_ asked for _my _expertise!"

Sakura groaned. "Another skank mission!"

Ino fumed for a few seconds before regaining her stuck-up confidence. "One works with what they're given, Forehead. It's not my fault you're hopelessly flat-chested!"

Sakura gritted her teeth. "I am not flat-chested! Anyone but Tsunade looks flat-chested next to you!"

Ino shrugged with a smile. "Hey, the arts of seduction just weren't meant for some people, Sakura," she patronized, giving Sakura a pat on the head.

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously as her eyebrow twitched. "Well, I could still beat your head into the ground any day!"

Ino laughed. "Ha! Please! Let me think…" She looked at both of her hands. "Super-strength, boys? Super-strength, boys? Hm…I think I'm going to have to go with the boys, Forehead. I'm sorry," she said in a light voice.

_Why, that little…_

"Eh, your loss, Pig."

Ino rolled her eyes as she leaned on the counter in the flower shop. "Yeah, my loss. I so wanted to punch holes in the ground because that is a sure-fire way of attracting the opposite sex! They wouldn't be able to resist my masculine charm!"

Sakura gripped the counter to the point where it cracked.

"Geez, Forehead! Lay off the hardware! I was just joking…sort of." She cleared her throat and changed the subject. "So, when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? When did you find out about it?"

Sakura shrugged. "Today."

"Wow, they sure do give you a lot of notice these days, don't they," Ino muttered sarcastically. "Who you going with?"

"Naruto."

Ino's stunning blue eyes shot open. "Just Naruto? Have fun with that."

Sakura flicked some stray strands of hair out of her face. "I will."

"Of course I'll have my own problems."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

Ino sighed. "A possible crush on Shikamaru."

Sakura thought she would choke. "A possible _what_ on _whom_?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "You heard me. I don't think that insanely huge forehead of yours has impaired your hearing…that I know of."

"Wow, Pig, that's weird!"

Ino slammed her hands down on the counter. "Why's it so weird? _You_ had a crush on _your_ teammate for, like, _ever_! You were practically in love with him!"

Sakura smiled sadly. "I _was_ in love with him."

Ino immediately looked repentant. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sakura…"

Sakura waved off her concern. She was sick of people thinking she was weak concerning the subject of Sasuke. She wasn't. They _were_ going to get him back, after all. "Shut it, Pig. I didn't mean it was _weird_-weird…just weird that suddenly, after all this time…"

She trailed off at the look on Ino's face. She was blushing. Ino _never_ blushed. "What?"

"It's been going on for a while. At first it was just…small. Barely there. Just a weird attraction thing. Then, I don't know…it just _grew_ and now I can't stop thinking about him!"

Sakura just gaped. Ino sounded like a lost, little girl. Ino sounded like Sakura when she was in love with Sasuke. "Ino…"

Ino half-smiled. "I know…"

"What about him?"

Ino shrugged. "You know Shikamaru. You can't determine anything with him. Hell, I don't even know if liking girls is worth the effort for him! It's probably too _troublesome_. Hopeless."

Sakura grinned evilly. "You know what you should do."

"What?"

"Well, like you said, guys like Shikamaru…he won't do anything. He's probably too lazy to even consider the possibility. So…you have to _make_ him consider the possibility. Make him _want _it…and then he'll go after it. You should be good at it."

A smile grew on Ino's face as she considered Sakura's plan. "You know, that is really evil."

"I know" Sakura replied happily.

"I'm proud of you, Forehead. That is a decent plan! I think I'll give it a try. I mean, since when did Yamanaka Ino pine over some ignorant guy? Never! And she sure as hell isn't going to start now! I am going to make him want it _so bad_, he won't even _think_ of the word troublesome!"

Sakura smiled at Ino's epiphany moment. Her friend was so strong, exactly why Sakura admired her so much. Ino's strength came naturally. Sakura had to work and work and work for hers. She envied her that as well as her bouncing breasticles.

"Well, I better head off, Pig. I have other people to say goodbye to, because, you know, I'm such a popular person."

Ino smirked. "Well don't let that popularity get to your head. That forehead of yours is big enough already," Ino teased before she walked around the counter and hugged Sakura. "Come back alive."

"I will," Sakura replied before she pulled back. "And you better have the lazy ass on a leash by the time I get back, or you have to recognize me as the single most seductive kunoichi ever created!"

Ino blanched. "Please, like you could live up to that title! Not only will I have him on a leash, he will be wrapped around my little finger!"

Sakura laughed. "Bye, Pig."

"Bye, Forehead."

With one last smile Sakura walked to the front door. She paused and put a finger on her lip as if in deep thought. "And by the way, Pig, you might want to do something about those wrinkles. Not attractive."

She walked out of the shop to the sounds of Ino screeching about wrinkles and smirked.

_Sakura: One._

_Ino: ZERO!_


	5. And So It Begins

**A/N: Firstly, I'd like to thank all the reviewers, especially Nibbles. Thank you so much for your long comment! I never get long comments! And thank you for your kind words! They really boosted my morale! **

**I suppose you've noticed I've updated more quickly than usual. Well, that will happen if a get good reviews :). They tend to give me motivation (which I don't have much of). But don't be afraid to tell me if it's crap…I just might not listen haha.**

**We're getting back into the storyline now - things are going to start coming together. And yes, Sakura and Naruto will find Sasuke soon so just bear with me!**

**Enjoy!**

**And So It Begins**

_It's time to begin again_

_That means it's time to fall apart_

_It's time to be strong again_

_That means it's time to break my heart_

**_- Anonymous_**

Sakura walked through Konoha as she made her way to the gates. The village was just waking up. She had always loved the early morning, the time when everything looked so clean and beautiful and silent. It was a shame the flaws of human nature had to destroy nature's purity like they did.

"Hey, Sakura! You're late!"

Sakura couldn't help but smile and her waving, blonde team mate. Another good thing about the morning…it was usually quiet.

"I am not late, Naruto!" she argued as she walked up to him. "It's, what, one minute past six thirty?"

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "Well, _technically_ you're late."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh, please." She eyed Naruto's bag. "Did you forget anything?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to roll his eyes. "Oh, _please_. I go on these long missions _all the time_! If anyone forgot anything, it'd be _you_."

Sakura put her gloves on. "Of _course_ I remembered everything, Naruto. I even brought The Pack."

Naruto groaned loudly. "You brought The Pack? _Why_? Like we'll need _that_!"

Sakura glared at him. "You never know when it could come in handy. It's best to be prepared. And besides, you're carrying it."

Naruto gaped at her. "What? _No_! I will _not_ been seen carrying _that_ thing!"

Sakura didn't reply straight away, but instead took the normal looking bag out of her larger one and threw it to Naruto, who caught it deftly. He knew she'd kill him if he dropped it. She'd spent a lot of time on that pack.

"No one's going to know what's in there unless they look _inside_ it, which they're not."

Naruto grumbled incoherently as he stuffed The Pack inside his larger one. "Why do _I_ have to carry it? _You're_ the one with the super-strength and all."

Sakura put her hands on her hips. "Oh, stop being such a baby! You're supposed to be a man, aren't you? Men are the ones that carry stuff! And besides, I have lots of other _girly necessities_ that I have to fit in my pack."

Sakura smirked as Naruto winced. When it came to 'girly necessities' he backed off immediately.

**Ha, ha! Another point for Haruno Sakura!**

_Hell yeah!_

"So we gonna go or what?" Naruto muttered. Sakura only smiled, anticipation coursing through her veins.

000

Tsunade looked up at Kakashi as he walked in the room. It'd taken him long enough. What else was new?

"I'm a busy woman, Kakashi. I'm sure you have a good excuse for keeping me waiting."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I was walking towards the tower when-"

"Save it!" Tsunade sighed. No doubt whatever exited his mouth beyond that point would be a blatant lie anyway. That man was incorrigible. "I asked to see you about Sakura and Naruto…and this _mission_ they're going on."

"Oh?"

"Sakura was lying to me. I'm not stupid and she's a horrible liar. There's more to this mission than she's telling me and I want to know what it is."

"What makes you think I know?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and continued to stare at him expectantly. "You're also a horrible liar."

Kakashi chuckled nervously. "Well, I was sworn to secrecy and Sakura would surely castrate me if she found out I told, so I'm sorry. I can't help you."

Tsunade growled dangerously. "I'll castrate you _now_, Kakashi!"

"Then I'll just have to sincerely hope that you don't."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. When it came to his teammates, Kakashi was a closed book, like he was with everything else, really. He'd only tell her if he thought they were in danger. Obviously he didn't think they were…or maybe it was something else.

"It's the Uchiha, isn't it?"

"You think? Where did you come up with that conclusion?" he asked casually, his light tone giving nothing away. And of course she couldn't read his facial expression because it was hidden behind that damn mask.

"Kakashi, I'm not a fool-"

"Never said you were."

"But I know there's something else going on here and the only thing I can think of that Sakura would keep from me is information about Sasuke. Especially if she thought I would do something she didn't want me to…which in the case of Sasuke, I would."

"Then maybe you should have asked her yourself instead of letting her go off for three months."

Tsunade gritted her teeth in frustration. How was it that Kakashi could always pass the attention or blame to someone else so smoothly? It was infuriating! She could never get anything useful out of the man.

"Did you see the look in her eyes, Kakashi? I haven't seen determination like that in her for a long time. She would have gone whether I let her or not. And Naruto would just follow her like he always does. I have no intention of allowing my apprentice and the probably future Hokage to become missing nin." She shook her head. "It _must_ have something to do with Sasuke."

"But you have no proof?" Kakashi replied smoothly, again giving nothing away in his light tone.

Tsunade sighed. "But I have no proof."

"So what are you going to do?"

Tsunade looked up at the impassive Kakashi. "Wait and trust. That's all I can do."

000

Kakashi smirked to himself as he walked out of the Hokage's tower, but no one could see his expression, of course. He'd successfully put the Hokage off Sakura and Naruto's back, for now at least. He'd been expecting this reaction from her. It was inevitable. Sakura didn't get that worked up over anything but finding her missing teammate. Former team mate.

Well, technicalities like that hardly mattered to the pink-haired kunoichi. Uchiha Sasuke would always be her teammate, whether he wanted to be or not. And in this case Kakashi had decided to trust her instincts about him. He only hoped her emotion had only aided her judgment, not clouded it.

_Don't let me down._

000

"Ah, Sasuke, you've returned. I trust your missions went well."

Sasuke barely glanced at his 'sensei.' He was worried that if he did, Orochimaru would be able to see the mistrust in his eyes. He couldn't oppose Orochimaru up-front …he'd just find some way around him and close off any avenue of attack completely. And he'd know Sasuke was snooping around.

No, with Orochimaru he had to be as sneaky as the bastard himself.

"Yes, so if you're done sending me on pointless missions, train me."

He couldn't act any different than he usually did. He'd always hated missions of any kind, as they interrupted his training, so Orochimaru would immediately grow suspicious if he suddenly didn't comment on the inconvenience.

And he'd always been rude.

"Now, now, Sasuke. You shouldn't be rude to Orochimaru-sama. He _is_ taking time out of his busy schedule to train you."

Sasuke glared at Kabuto. He hated that guy, with all his sick experiments. He thought he could get away with anything because he was Orochimaru's 'right-hand man,' but as soon as Sasuke got rid of Orochimaru, Kabuto was next.

He was not stupid enough to assume that Kabuto's loyalties completely lay with Orochimaru. No, Kabuto's loyalty lay only with himself and Sasuke didn't trust that scheming bastard one bit. Neither did Orochimaru, but for now he served his purposes so Orochimaru kept Kabuto where he was.

"What busy schedule? You don't do anything. Now train me. That _is_ what I came here for," Sasuke continued belligerently to Orochimaru, for he never spoke to Kabuto unless he had to. That man was less than nothing in his eyes, hardly worth his attention, much less his hate (but he had it nonetheless).

A slow smile spread over Orochimaru's ashen face. "And you also came here so I could use your body, but that hasn't happened yet, has it, Sasuke?"

Sasuke gave nothing away in his cold gaze. He'd long learned to conceal all emotion. "I said you could use my body _once I kill Itachi by myself_. I have no use for it after that."

The original deal had been three years, but Orochimaru had been forced to take a different body for the time being because Sasuke had refused to hand over his body before killing Itachi. No one had been strong enough to force Sasuke to submit, Orochimaru being too weak himself at the time. His body always gave out after three years. Sasuke did quite know why Orochimaru thought his body would be any different. It didn't really matter at any rate.

Sasuke had about another year to kill Itachi, and he was certain he was ready.

And even then, he would not lower himself to become a vessel to a snake such as Orochimaru anyway, a fact which Orochimaru well knew. However, Sasuke knew Orochimaru had is own plans to ensure his acquisition of Sasuke's shell. Sasuke's plan was only to kill Orochimaru if he tried anything.

Training was merely a formality at this point.

Orochimaru's smile grew at Sasuke's defiance, as it always did. "Well then, I suppose I'd best not keep you waiting."

000

Sakura started walking as soon as the familiar hut came into view. She and Naruto had been leaping through the trees thus far, but they were supposed to travel as civilians, minimizing suspicion. She had grown impatient with the slow pace and Naruto was always impatient with anything slow, so they travelled for expediency until now. She wanted to find a trail as quickly as possible.

"So this is where it happened, huh?"

Sakura nodded without looking at her blonde companion, each lost in their own thoughts. Sakura was recalling her encounter with Sasuke, running it through her mind over and over again, like she'd been doing ever since she'd seen him.

As she turned her thoughts back to that pivotal moment in time, she remembered things with a clarity that had eluded her at the time.

She remembered what he wore - the white shirt that exposed his developed muscles, the dark pants that draped over his long but firm legs. She couldn't help but blush as she remembered how it'd felt when he'd brushed against her.

She remembered his lips, the way they'd turned up into that knowing smirk of his. They had looked so soft…but thoughts like that would get her no where.

She remembered the smooth planes and sharp angles of his face - the pale skin that looked like silk. She wondered if it'd feel like silk if she dare touched it.

She remembered her breath catching when she saw his face. It was a reaction she couldn't have helped even if she'd been prepared. He'd always been handsome. It seemed those looks had just improved with age. She giggled as she imagined what the ladies' reactions to him would be if he returned to Konoha now. He'd probably even have middle-aged married women pining after him. He'd hate that.

She smiled sadly. He never did have the attention he wanted. When he was a boy, all he'd wanted was attention from his parents, but they were too distracted by Itachi's brilliance. When he'd been a genin, all he'd wanted was Itachi to recognize his strength, as much as he hated him, but all he'd gotten was the admiring affections of girls (including her) and the envious stares of boys (including Naruto).

And now all he wanted was to be left alone in his dark pit of revenge and hate, but that was too bad because all she wanted was to have him back.

000

"Do you think this is going to work?" Kisame asked his long-time partner.

"It is the Leader's orders," Itachi Uchiha replied as he stared down at Oto.

"Yes, but what do _you_ think." Kisame had long learned to respect his partner's opinion. He saw things many people, even the Leader, did not.

"I suppose it is worth trying. Nothing else has worked. The Jinchuriki remains too elusive and his power is growing by the month. If we destroy his morale, we destroy the source of his power. I know how he works. He will come to us…for revenge."

Kisame grinned, showing off all his sharp teeth. "And Orochimaru?"

"We can always take care of Orochimaru later. His usefulness is running out."

Kisame chuckled. "I like the way you think."

Itachi didn't reply and they stood in silence, but Kisame never could be silent for all that long.

"So what about that brother of yours?"

Itachi remained expressionless. "What about him?"

"Is he anything to worry about?"

A small, barely noticeable smile formed on Itachi's lips. "No, but it shall be interesting to observe his progress. One day he shall prove to be a worthy adversary, of that I am sure, but not yet. He does not hate me enough."

000

Sakura arrived to see Goshinbu's wife sweeping the porch of their – her - home.

"Well, hello again! I didn't expect to see you so soon!" she called out as soon as she caught sight of the two travellers.

Sakura smiled brightly. "Hello! I suppose you know why we're here."

"Oh, yes, yes! Of course! To investigate my husband's murder. Come right in!"

"Thank you." She looked at Naruto then back to the old lady again. "This is my partner, Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto shook her hand enthusiastically. "That's right, Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage! Believe it!"

Sakura giggled. He'd never really gotten over proclaiming that to every new person he met. But now it was endearing instead of annoying.

The old lady smiled widely. "I'll remember the name, Naruto. I'm very pleased to meet the future Hokage. I'm Rai." She turned back to Sakura. "I'm afraid I can't talk for long. I have a lot of work to do. I am opening this house to harbor orphans and the sick. There really isn't enough room for patients at the doctor's hut. I have a lot of cleaning up to do in preparation."

"I'm glad to hear that you are using your house in such a noble way."

Rai smiled sadly. "Well, I figured that if my husband isn't alive to repent for his sins, I'd do it for him."

"How about you take a rest and we can talk and Naruto can help clean up things around here."

Naruto turned to Sakura. "Hey! Why do _I_ have to do the cleaning? Why can't _you_ do it?"

Sakura smiled apologetically at Rai before turning to Naruto, hands on hips. "_Because_ we're going to be talking about her deceased husband to some degree and you have about as much sensitivity has a dead cat!"

"_What_? I do not! I so to have sensitivity! I'm, like, the most sensitive person _ever_!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Sure you are. Just shut up and do what Rai tells you, _okay_? I am the one leading this mission after all!"

Sakura smiled pleasantly and turned back to Rai. "Sorry about that. Sometimes it's hard dealing with children."

"_Hey_!" Naruto protested loudly. "I'm not a child! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage!"

Sakura groaned and put her hand on her forehead. "Yes, I think she heard that the first time."

Rai laughed loudly. "Dear me, I haven't laughed like this in a long time!" She calmed down and looked at Naruto with a smile on her face. "Now, young man, you can take that cloth and bucket over there for starters."

Naruto grumbled as he picked them up. "Now what?"

"Now you can fill the bucket with water. Then you can use the cloth and the bucket of water to clean this porch, okay?"

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Fine. Man, I can't wait to be Hokage. I won't ever have to this crap again!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's great" Sakura said as she waved her hand dismissively before turning to Rai. "Now, where were we?"

000

Later that day, Sakura carefully touched the cracks in the wall where Sasuke had thrown her. Now that she was back in this room it was like the whole encounter played out before her eyes instead of in her head. It made her heart ache.

"Sakura?"

"Mmm?" Sakura murmured as she twirled around to face a very solemn looking Naruto.

He slowly glanced around the room. "So this is where it all took place?"

Sakura nodded silently.

Naruto's gaze hardened as he caught sight of the cracks in the wall. "Sasuke did this?" he asked with a cold voice, the voice he saved for when he was about to hurt something.

Sakura laughed lightly. It was obviously a poor attempt at levity. "Ha, ha, well technically I did it."

Naruto marched over to the wall and sniffed it. "But your blood was on it. Sasuke threw you into it."

Sakura bit her lip. "Well…uh…yeah, he did."

Naruto punched the wall, causing it to crack further.

"Naruto, please! It's damaged enough!" Sakura exclaimed as he put her hands on his arm.

Naruto glared at the wall. "He hurt you, Sakura. He _hurt_ you. How could he do that?" His voice was a tortured whisper. Sakura winced. She hated it when Naruto was in pain…especially if it was because of her.

"I let him, Naruto. I had to show him that I didn't hate him."

"Yes, but he shouldn't have even been trying. Doesn't he care about us just a little?"

Sakura closed her eyes and leaned her head on Naruto's shoulder. "I guess we'll find out" she whispered.

They stood there for a few moments before Naruto spoke up. "So where was he last?"

Sakura opened her eyes and looked around. "Well, I last saw him right here, but there's no telling which way he left. He knocked me out."

Naruto growled. "Well, it looks like I'll just have to sniff around. Great. The last thing I wanna do right now is smell that bastard's scent!"

Sakura smiled and walked outside, knowing she couldn't be there to divert Naruto's nose from finding Sasuke's scent. Kiba had taught Naruto how to focus his chakra into his nose to refine his sense of smell a hundred fold. Because Naruto had canine qualities like Kiba - because of the Kyuubi - he was able to do this quite well and it proved extremely useful with tracking.

Especially now that they were tracking the most important thing of all.

**A/N: If you're wondering "WTF is 'The Pack'?" Well, you will find out later in the story. Sorry, but I'm not telling.**


	6. A Scheme Devised

**A/N: I am aware that Itachi is probably a little OOC in this chapter because I simply do not know how else to write him. I'm not overtly familiar with his character, therefore I'm just using it how it would best serve the story. Sorry for anyone who likes Itachi and his psychotic tendencies. **

**Also, this chapter is mainly just a filler...a catalyst of sorts...a means to an end (okay, I'll stop now). Just so you don't expect too much. **

**Enjoy! **

**A Scheme Devised**

_Come to me, tell me your secret_

_It's about time, you know_

**_- Anonymous_**

_One week later…_

"You called," Sasuke said, his words dripping with malice. He detested that Orochimaru thought he could just summon him like one of his 'pawns'…and he detested that he came.

"Ah, Sasuke, how nice of you to join us." Orochimaru smiled creepily as he regarded the young Uchiha standing before him.

Sasuke gritted his teeth in annoyance. Why couldn't Orochimaru just get to the point? He didn't want to have to suffer his presence any longer than he had to. Kabuto as well. He hated the way that man looked at him, like he was continually planning something.

"I need you to do something for me."

"No more missions," Sasuke replied with ice coating his tone.

"Did you not agree that you would run errands for me, Sasuke?" Orochimaru countered.

"Do you not have other shinobi to do this for you? I am an Uchiha, not some errand boy to bow to your every request."

"Ah, but this mission is of a delicate nature. I cannot simply hand it over to anyone."

An assassination then. Sasuke had found out what he wanted, but he'd have to continue to go along with the farce of refusing to go. That was what Orochimaru expected, after all. "No. I am not here to carry out petty tasks for you."

"You should not be so selfish, Sasuke."

Sasuke did not even recognize that Kabuto had spoken. He was not worth his attention. Looking at him just made him pointlessly angry. He'd kill that guy one day, for no other reason than the world would be a better place without him in it. "No," he repeated.

Orochimaru leaned forward on his chair as he regarded him. Sasuke hated being the focus of that gaze so intense it was if Orochimaru could see into the inner workings of his mind, but Sasuke knew that was exactly what Orochimaru wanted people to think. He loved to watch them squirm.

"How about I make a deal with you, then?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Their whole relationship revolved around deals. He wondered what he could get out of the snake this time, but he had to be careful. Orochimaru had a way of twisting his words so he conned people into agreeing to things they didn't want to do.

"What kind of deal?"

"If you do this mission for me, it will be the last for six months."

Sasuke didn't miss the sharp look Kabuto sent to Orochimaru. Yes, something was definitely going on and judging by the look on Kabuto's face – otherwise so docile – lead him to believe this 'deal' would go against prior arrangements with a second party. The last thing Sasuke wanted to do now was leave Oto, because staying meant he might find out who this second party was. However, what choice did he have other than to accept? Besides, he did need to leave in order to source out Sally, the mysterious benefactor his latest target had spoken of.

"Fine."

The creepy grin that had never left Orochimaru's face grew in proportion. "Excellent. Now, your target is a man named Tyaka Irino …"

000

"So, Sakura, what was that man's name again? The one old lady Rai said her husband had dealings with?"

Sakura glanced at Naruto. They'd tried following Sasuke's scent, but it had dissipated into nothing, so they'd had no choice but to start looking for information and hope to find some sign of Sasuke on the way. It was a long shot, but it was all she could come up with for now. They might as well do something while she thought of further strategies.

She and Naruto were travelling as civilians now, so not to arouse suspicion. It would be best if no one knew they were snooping about.

"His name is Tyaka Irino."

000

"I see you have sent my foolish little brother off on another farce mission," Itachi observed smoothly and he stood across from Orochimaru.

"The missions I have been sending him on are not farces. I am simply using him to eliminate our informants thus far. It would be best to keep our bases covered."

"And when are you planning on telling him about the Akatsuki and Sound working together?" Kisame asked from his position beside Itachi, who simply looked on with disinterest.

"He has become increasingly difficult lately. I might be forced into enlightening him earlier than planned, though he might be unstable," Orochimaru replied with the grin that never left his face.

But Itachi was not fooled by Orochimaru's seemingly undisturbed composition, for he knew Orochimaru was concerned about Sasuke's reaction and what would result from it. It was pathetic. Orochimaru could not even handle his foolish little brother and it had the potential to threaten their plans.

An idea came to Itachi and a small, indistinguishable smile formed on his lips. Yes, this would work. "I can take care of it," he said, eliciting the surprised stares of Orochimaru and Kabuto. Kisame did not react. He knew how his mind worked to an extent.

"_You_ will take care of Sasuke?"

Itachi turned his gaze to Kabuto, that worthless medic ninja who was supposed to be spying for them. It was obvious he was now only serving his own selfish purposes.

One look from him was enough to silence the medic nin. He obviously knew where his priorities lay – with his own self preservation.

"Yes."

"And may I ask how?" Orochimaru asked with an interested gleam in his eyes.

"It does not concern you," Itachi replied. He doubted Orochimaru would be pleased with his plan.

"I think it does. Sasuke belongs to me."

Itachi didn't even have to bother replying. Kisame did. "Do you want us to kill you?"

Orochimaru seemed to give nothing away in his gaze, but Itachi knew differently. He feared for his life, like he always did when any of the Akatsuki was around. He always wondered if they would actually spare his life liked they'd promised. He had reason to be scared. Of course they wouldn't.

"You will not disrupt our plans?" Orochimaru asked cautiously.

Itachi looked at him levelly. "It would not be in our best interests to disrupt these plans."

Orochimaru dipped his head slightly in respect. "Of course, Itachi-sama."

Itachi changed the subject to the state of their plans before he got unnecessarily irritated. That his foolish little brother was causing problems was unacceptable. He should be a non-issue, but Orochimaru insisted that they needed him. Itachi doubted that. Orochimaru just wanted his bases covered. Sasuke was Orochimaru's insurance scheme against Itachi taking his life. Judging by Orochimaru's recent actions, he believed Sasuke was ready to take Itachi on and potentially succeed. Should this happen, Orochimaru would have everything he wants – no threat from Itachi and Sasuke's body for his use.

But Itachi had no time or need to contemplate Orochimaru's pointless schemes, for he knew they would amount to nothing anyway. His goal as part of the Akatsuki was only to capture the Jinchuriki alive, nothing more. He did not have time for his little brother's pitiful attempts for his life disrupting their well-made plans. He'd just have to make sure Sasuke was…otherwise occupied. And he knew just how to accomplish that.

000

"So what is this plan of yours?" Kisame asked as they stood in a clearing waiting for Konan to appear, as Itachi had yet to enlighten him.

"My foolish little brother may like to think he has separated himself from all bonds of his previous life in Konoha, but he hasn't. He always was too emotional. Now it is all anger and hate, but that is still emotion. He becomes attached to things too easily."

"I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"His former teammates are the Jinchuriki and the pink-haired kunoichi, apprentice to the Fifth Hokage and who largely contributed to the end of Sasori. It is my understanding that he has formed an attachment to these two, especially the Jinchuriki. He claims he would do anything to kill me, but yet he could not bring himself to kill his best friend in order to obtain the Mangekou Sharingan. That shows me he is weak above all things."

Itachi could tell when Kisame put the pieces together. "So because those two travelling to find Sasuke now, you're going to lead them to him in hopes that he'll stay with them."

"Yes. From recent reports, they are both depicted as extremely persistent in their efforts to, as they put it, 'get Sasuke back.'"

Kisame smiled, revealing his sharp incisors. "So even if he did refuse, they would not allow him to leave and he would not kill them. He couldn't lead them back to Oto, so what other choice does he have but to stay with them?" He chuckled. "Smart. I suppose it was a good idea to have Konan continually keep track of the Jinchuriki's movements."

"Yes. And she will be arriving shortly to tell us of his whereabouts."

000

"What do you think Itachi is up to, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto queried. It irked him how he could not read Itachi's intentions. He was hoping Orochimaru had been better at it as he was certainly more familiar with the elder Uchiha brother.

Orochimaru looked deep in thought. "No, but we have little choice but to place Sasuke in his hands. Like he said, it is not in the Akatsuki's interests to disrupt our plans."

"But what about _your_ plans?" Kabuto asked.

A slow smile found its way onto Orochimaru's cold lips. "Whatever it is, whatever happens, Sasuke will always come back to me."

000

"Hurry up, Sakura! We're almost there!" Naruto yelled as he looked back to his pink-haired team mate.

"Shut up, Naruto! You're not supposed to be running anyway! We're_ normal_, remember?" she yelled back.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Normal was so _boring_, even if it was necessary sometimes. "I'm just so excited to see my long-lost uncle I can't contain it!" he retorted, earning a fierce glare from Sakura.

He groaned and stopped to wait for her. He couldn't risk her wrath. It was scary.

When she caught up with him, they resumed walking at a normal pace.

"Why do we have to pretend to be married again?" he asked innocently.

Strangely enough, this too earned a glare from Sakura.

"What, is the thought of being married to be so repulsive?" she asked through clenched teeth.

_Can't I say _anything_ right, _he wondered?

He had never understood girls with their mood swings, but Sakura seemed to have more than the average. Maybe she just had PMS or something. She had once told him that that caused a lot of girls to be grumpy. But was it possible to have it everyday? Something told him not to ask.

"Ah…no, no! I was just wondering why we couldn't be brother and sister or something."

"Because we don't _look_ like brother and sister, idiot! It's just safer to say we're married or together or something of that nature."

Naruto was about to reply when he felt an unfamiliar, yet familiar presence. His warning bells went off instantly. His subconscious recognized the presence and it was obviously not a friendly one.

His hand went out to stop Sakura. She did not question him. She could understand the look on his face.

"We have company."

Just as the words left his mouth, two figures appeared before them. Both figures were wearing the trademark Akatsuki cloak and straw hats.

But even with the straw hats, Naruto knew who they were.

Itachi and Kisame. He knew their stink anywhere.

It seemed as though Sakura recognized them too because she instantly stiffened beside him. He kept his hand on her so she wouldn't do anything rash. She hated Itachi almost as much as Sasuke did, but it would not be wise to engage in battle with these two - especially Itachi.

"Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura." It was Kisame who spoke. Itachi never spoke unless he had to. "I must say it's a pleasure to finally meet the girl who took down Sasori, though I must say I was expecting a little more. It is a disgrace that Sasori was beaten by someone such as you, though I realize you had help."

He felt Sakura tense further at his taunts. She was barely suppressing her rage. He knew she couldn't care less about what Kisame thought of her abilities…this was about Sasuke.

"Kisame, we did not come here to fight." Itachi's soft voice floated over to where Naruto and Sakura were standing.

Naruto tried to figure out what they wanted. If it wasn't to fight, then what? It was unusual for them to approach him in such an open manner. After all, their attempts at capturing him in the past had all failed. He remained too elusive and he was always on his guard, but after a while he'd come to suspect that they'd try again in a more subtle way, not up front like this.

"What do you want?" he asked; voice steely. Sakura wasn't the only one who hated them.

"We simply want to impart some information concerning Sasuke's whereabouts," Itachi replied smoothly.

Naruto narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Why?"

"It would benefit us if you found him."

"And why should we help you?" Sakura spat out, not bothering to conceal her anger. Naruto just hoped that she wouldn't give anything away in her anger. Usually it was him that everyone had to worry about…but not when it came to Sasuke.

Itachi's gaze briefly flickered to Sakura. "Because it would also benefit you to find Sasuke, would it not? You _are_ looking for him, aren't you?"

Sakura remained silent so Naruto spoke up. "What to you want to get out of it?"

"That doesn't concern you, squirt," Kisame said.

"Like hell it doesn't! What do you want with Sasuke?" Naruto demanded. He was getting impatient with all of this running around the point.

"Actually, we don't want anything with Sasuke. We just want him out of the way," Itachi replied.

Now he was really confused. How would telling them about Sasuke's whereabouts help keep him out of the Akatsuki's way? It didn't make sense. And why did the Akatsuki want him 'out of the way' in the first place? What were they up to?

"Naruto…" Sakura said softly.

Naruto turned to her with a questioning expression and she continued, "I…I think we should listen to them. We don't have to follow through. We can hear what they have to say and decide later. If they're not going to fight us, I can't see how it would do any harm."

Naruto saw the logic in this even though every part of him was itching to punch Itachi square in the nose. Every part of him revolted at the thought of helping the Ataksuki do anything, even if their goals did align in this weird way. However, like Sakura said, if the Akatsuki didn't want to fight he and Sakura should listen and not start a fight themselves. Their mission was not to subdue two S-Class nin without back up. That was just plain stupidity, and to do so would be to underestimate Kisame and Itachi's abilities…and Naruto had seen enough of their abilities to have learned not to do that, regardless of what his fighting instincts so badly compelled him to do. Learning to ignore his baser instincts in certain situations so he could think rationally was all part of being a Hokage, so he turned back to Itachi and Kisame and said, "Okay, where is he?"

"We have information that he is currently on an assassination mission for Orochimaru of the Sound. The target's name is Tyaka Irino."

Naruto concealed his surprise at hearing the familiar name and knew Sakura would definitely be doing the same. They did not want the Akatsuki to know that they weren't just looking for Sasuke, assuming that they didn't know already. He had no idea how they'd known about their quest for Sasuke in the first place so there was every possibility that they also knew they were looking for a different sort of information as well.

"In fact, Tyaka resides in a village not to far from here. I believe that was the direction you were heading."

"What a coincidence," Kisame taunted, but was quickly subdued when Itachi's eyes almost imperceptibly shifted in his direction.

Naruto and Sakura remained silent.

Kisame grinned again at their forced lack of reaction. "Well, I guess we'll be off then. Have fun, kids."

"And what if we don't find him?" Sakura asked quietly.

A hint of a smile appeared on Itachi's half-concealed face. "You will."


	7. Together Again

**A/N: We're finally here! The big reunion (or whatever you want to call it). Things will be heating up after this chapter, that's for sure! So please review and tell me what you think. I'm open for suggestions and ways to improve! Enjoy! **

**Together Again**

_And it's all in how you mix the two_

_And it starts just where the light exists_

_It's a feeling that you cannot miss_

_And it burns a hole through everyone that feels it_

**_- "Blue and Yellow", _****The Used**

Sasuke pulled his black cloak closer as he made his way down the main street of the village he was currently within, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Unfortunately, he had to search for the whereabouts of his target this time. Orochimaru had provided him with the location of his village, but not his home. He guessed Orochimaru didn't know - which was both annoying and intriguing. That Tyaka could hide his location so well garnered reluctant respect from Sasuke, as hiding anything from Orochimaru was no easy task.

The sun just started dropping in the horizon, painting the sky a bold shade of red, like blood gushing from an open wound. It suited his mood, though apparently he was the only one to notice the sunset that spoke of an approaching storm. Everyone else seemed intent on making their way to the nearest tavern and getting drunk.

For as much as he looked down upon the art of intoxication, he had to admit sake did have its uses. It was so much easier gathering information otherwise secretly stashed in ones mind if one was too drunk to remember that it was supposed to be a secret. Spirits made the tongue loose.

With this in mind Sasuke walked into the nearest tavern, not caring that he was legally underage. Most people thought him older than he really was anyway. He had that sort of presence about him that gave off that impression. A life of full of certain experiences, no of them particularly bright, often caused such an event.

He sat down on a bar stool, barely noticing the wary looks he was getting. He was used to it. Men were instantly cautious upon catching sight of his cloaked figure. He knew he had an aura about him that warned danger and inapproachability, which immediately made most want to stay far away. Unfortunately, this dangerous aura he possessed had a completely different affect on the opposite sex, hence another reason he kept his face covered behind the high collar of his cloak as much as possible. Women were just so…annoying most of the time.

"What will it be, sir?"

Sasuke glanced up at the bartender. He doubted that anyone was called 'sir' in a place like this, but didn't comment. He didn't think the bartender would call him 'sir' if he knew he was more than half his age.

"Water," he replied blankly. He was adverse to drinking alcohol on a mission, or ever. Even one drink could cloud the senses just that little bit and just that little bit could give an enemy an advantage over him. That was unacceptable.

The bartender complied with his request without another word and then left him alone. Sasuke scanned the room's occupants, wondering how he should go about asking after Tyaka Irino. This village was not that big so it should not be too hard to…

Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted as a group of young, rowdy shinobi sat down on the stools next to him. They did not look much older than he and seemed as though they were already intoxicated.

_Pathetic._

Their headbands indicated that they were from Mist.

_What are they doing in the Land of Fire?_

Sure, it was near the border of the Land of Fire, but they were still a long way from home. But his senses told him that the five shinobi were not a threat and therefore did not warrant his attention.

"Whoa, look at this cutie! How did _she _get into this book?" One of them spoke up as he pointed at the book in question that one of the other four ninja were holding.

Of course, they wouldn't have warranted his attention if they weren't so damn loud. Sasuke was about to tell them to shut the hell up or move somewhere else when the ninja's next sentence stopped him.

"Says here she's seventeen, with the strength to punch through anything! She's the apprentice of the Village of the Hidden Leaf's Hokage. Just look at that pink hair!"

Without thinking, Sasuke stood up and walked over to the shinobi holding the offending book, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Do you mind?" It was more of a demand than a request and the Mist nin must have known that because they handed over the book without another word.

Sasuke stared down at the front cover of the book, which identified itself as _International Shinobi Digest_. He recalled this was a yearly publication that had only existed for three years. It published accounts of the most accomplished shinobi in the profession, ranked. There were two separate lists – one for shinobi that were still alive and one for shinobi that were perceived to be deceased. Sasuke himself had appeared in the upper echelon of the 'alive' list in recent times, though more poorly ranked than his brother, which had irked him regardless of how many times he told himself it didn't matter.

He opened the book to the page the Mist shinobi had be perusing and stared at it in disbelief. There was Sakura, in the top 100 – just like himself. She was smiling brightly at the camera, looking completely carefree. He barely skimmed over the description of her. His dark eyes were glued on her picture.

But he wasn't really seeing the picture. He was seeing her as she had been a week ago, the way she had looked at him with pity in her eyes. Not hate or apprehension - pity. And he hated her for that. He hated that she could have no care in the world yet have the nerve to pity _him_. What did she know of suffering? How could she pity something she knew nothing of?

He snapped the book shut and threw it back on the counter in front of the Mist nin. What did he care about Haruno Sakura? He'd probably never see her again and if he did, what did that matter? She was nothing to him, wasn't she?

He was about to walk out the door and just search for Tyaka on his own when an all-too-familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Oi, you! I'm talking to you! I wanna know if you've seen a man named Tyaka Irino!"

_Naruto._

Sasuke quickly retreated into the shadows beneath the alcove of the tavern as he silently watched the loud blonde try to wean information from a half-conscious drunk.

A flurry of emotions, none of which he recognized, assaulted him at the sight of his former teammate after so many years. Uzumaki Naruto, the biggest idiot and the best shinobi he'd ever known. When he'd lived in Konoha, he'd unwittingly grown to respect the loud-mouthed Jinchuriki…and that respect had become an attachment, one he neither wanted nor needed.

He vaguely remembered the first time Itachi had come looking for Naruto. He remembered the suffocating fear that almost choked him as he ran like a madman in search of his best friend before Itachi found him. He had realized after that incident that he'd become too complacent - and that he hadn't grown as much as he'd first thought.

The first sign of his incompetence had been when he had failed to beat Gaara of the Sand and Naruto had been the one to take him out. Second was his encounter with Itachi, who had overcome him like he was just an annoying fly buzzing around his head that needed to be squashed.

Sasuke's fists clenched as he remembered the feeling of utter hopelessness that had washed over him in those life altering moments. He'd vowed to himself that he'd never be so powerless again. And yet, he had failed to kill Naruto five years ago as he defected from the Leaf Village.

And yet, he had failed to kill Sakura just one mere week ago. He still didn't know why he'd let her live.

"Naruto, you idiot, what are you doing? Can't you see he's practically unconscious?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as a flash of pink danced across his vision.

Sakura.

What were they doing here? Why were they also looking for Tyaka Irino?

Sasuke watched silently as Naruto crossed his arms in front of his broad chest and pouted like a child. "Aren't you supposed to be nice to me?"

Sakura glared at him in a frighteningly familiar way. "Why would I be nice to you when you're acting like such an bird brain?"

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at Sakura's words. It seemed as though the relationship between Sakura and Naruto hadn't changed one bit.

"Be_cause_ we're supposed to be _married_."

Sasuke's eyes widened against his better intent. They were _married_? Sure, he hadn't seen them - much less thought about them - for the better part of five years, but that was just too weird and completely unexpected for him to overlook.

Sakura smacked up on the upside of his head, causing Naruto to yowl in protest and rub it with a scowl on his face. "Hey, watch that strength of yours!"

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. "I'll watch whatever I want, thank you very much!" she leaned close to him and whispered furiously. "And we are _not_ married! That is just a cover, remember? I'd never be caught married to a imbecile!"

_So that's it._

That made a whole lot more sense. He couldn't imagine Sakura marrying Naruto. Hell, he couldn't imagine _anyone_ marrying Naruto.

Naruto rolled his eyes at her. "Well, did _you_ find out anything?"

Sakura shook her head, sending pink strands of hair flying. "No. I've been asking around for hours, but no one seems to know an Tyaka Irino. My guess is that either the townspeople are protecting him for some reason, or it's a cover name. I've been asking after him as my long-lost uncle, which shouldn't be at all suspicious, so my guess is that it's the latter."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. A cover name. It made sense if the man was smart enough to know that there was a possibility people would be after him, just like he was now. War mongering and profiteering was a dangerous business.

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Didn't the old lady give you a description of him?"

"No. _Rai_ said that Goshinbu knew this man, but she'd never seen him herself."

Goshinbu? Where had he heard that name?

"So we don't even know if this guy has anything to do with what Goshinbu was doing?"

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, if he's using a cover name, that means he's doing something suspicious. And besides, didn't Itachi say Orochimaru sent Sasuke to kill this guy? That definitely means _something_."

Sasuke froze. They had spoken to Itachi?

The familiar feeling of pure hatred welled up in him, bubbling up in his gut like black tar. He hadn't heard of anything to do with Itachi for months and then suddenly Naruto and Sakura appear out of nowhere talking about something he'd said to _them_? Something Itachi had said about _him_, no less. And how did Itachi know that Orochimaru had sent him on this mission anyway?

It was the last thing he wanted to do, but it seemed the only way he'd learn more is if he just asked. He never thought he'd willingly put himself in a position of contact with his former teammates, but every line was blurred when it came to Itachi and he would do whatever it took to find him and kill him, even if that meant re-associating with people he'd rather forget.

So it was with great reluctance that he stepped out from under his covering and as soon as he unmasked his presence, Sakura twirled around.

"Sasuke."

000

Sakura sighed in annoyance as she stared at Naruto, who was staring back at her. After three hours of asking around for Tyaka Irino, they had gotten no where. Like she had said to Naruto, he was obviously covering his true identity. How freaking wonderful.

But at least it wasn't all bad. If she recalled correctly, Itachi had said Sasuke's target was Tyaka Irino so that meant Sasuke didn't know his real name either. Hopefully he was looking around too. Maybe they'd even run into him…though she knew that was a long-shot at best. It had happened a week ago, but she doubted something that coincidental would happen again so soon.

After Itachi and Kisame had imparted their knowledge of Sasuke's whereabouts, she and Naruto had gotten into a huge argument over whether or not they should actually continue looking for Sasuke if it meant helping the Akatsuki. Sakura still didn't fully understand why Itachi thought they could help keep Sasuke out of the way…whatever the hell 'out of the way' was. After a long time in contemplation she had reached the conclusion that the Akatsuki were doing something either with or to Orochimaru and needed Sasuke out of the way because there was no doubt he'd just attack Itachi upon sight and Itachi didn't want to have to deal with the inconvenience just yet. She hoped that their business with Orochimaru, if they had business with Orochimaru (which seemed to be the case), was that they were going to kill him because if that _was_ the case, she had no qualms against helping them just this once. The thing was she didn't know for sure. For all she knew they could be working with Orochimaru in whatever nefarious schemes he had against Konoha this time. However, if that were the case then Sasuke was still – as originally suspected – a good source of information regarding Orochimaru's actions and it was still – as originally suspected – in Konoha's best interests to find him, regardless of where information of his whereabouts had come from.

She had tried to explain all of this to Naruto who had just looked at her blankly, blinked a couple of times, and then refused to help the Akatsuki whatsoever. And everyone said _she_ was stubborn!

After another good half and hour of further argumentation, they had finally settled on a fairly simple agreement. They would go in search of Tyaka Irino as originally planned and if they happened to run into Sasuke, which was a possibility seeing as he was sent to kill Tyaka Irino, they'd figure out what to do from there.

What Sakura had never considered in her carefully thought-out calculations was the possibility of _Sasuke_ finding _them_.

But there was no mistaking the presence she felt behind her.

"Sasuke."

It seemed as though the whole world around her slowed to a halt and ceased to exist as she laid eyes on the one man she could never quite forget. Again, her breath caught in her throat and refused to budge as her eyes hungrily trailed over his familiar features.

It was strange, seeing him in such frequent progression after not seeing him at all for five years. In the back of her mind she recalled their genin days, but they seemed more like a dream than a memory now.

She knew this was Sasuke, but he was so completely different to the Sasuke she remembered that he seemed to be a complete stranger now. So much had changed, so much had shifted, and fear gripped her chest in a tight, unrelenting embrace as she momentarily wondered how she was supposed to the bridge this gap that stretched between them like a bottomless pit.

Her bright greens eyes searched his fathomless ones, eagerly looking for a trace of the Sasuke she once knew, just so she'd know that her Sasuke was there, underneath the years of separation and time. She was looking for hope that she could bring him back. How could she save a man she didn't even know?

Sasuke's eyes moved over her formed almost in disinterest before they moved on to Naruto, missing nothing. "What do you know of Itachi?" he asked Naruto, as though she didn't even matter.

Sakura suppressed the hurt at the thought she amounted to nothing in his eyes. How could she have expected anything more? Naruto had been his rival - his best friend. And what had she been? The weak teammate he had felt obliged to protect, the girl who wouldn't leave him the hell alone, that pathetic girl who had shamelessly pleaded for him to, please, stay. Nothing but an annoyance. And now, nothing at all.

He was probably interested in Naruto, to see how much he'd grown, how powerful he'd gotten. He had been his greatest rival and greatest friend, after all. Did he care for her growth, her power? No, she didn't even register on his radar.

**Okay, Sakura. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and suck it up! You ****_are_**** strong and you don't need Sasuke to tell you that!**

Sakura smiled at her Inner self. Over the years Inner Sakura had become less of the girl that said the things she herself was afraid to say, but more the part of Sakura that was endlessly positive and said the things that Sakura didn't want to admit. She could be either really annoying or really, really cool. At the moment, it was the latter.

"We were on our way here when Itachi and Kisame approached us. They told us of your whereabouts," Sakura answered for Naruto, who was too busy staring at Sasuke to say anything.

Sasuke turned his attention to her. "Why?" he snapped.

"If we tell you, you have to promise us something."

Sasuke clenched his jaw, causing Sakura's attention to waver.

**Focus on what he's saying, not that incredibly sexy jaw!**

_Oh, right…_

"And what would that be?" he responded, sounding extremely irritated.

_Well, tough!_

"You have to promise that you'll come back with us," she said, forcing her voice to remain even.

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed. "Forget it. I'll find out on my own."

**Oh well, it was worth a try.**

_Yeah, but if he thinks I'm going to give up that easily, he's going to be surprised!_

"We'll tell you."

Sakura glared at Naruto. "What do you mean 'we'll tell you'?"

Naruto didn't take his eyes off Sasuke. "He left to kill his brother. That's his ultimate goal and I'm not about to hinder him from doing that even though I may want to."

Sakura gaped at him in disbelief. "I thought you wanted him back!"

Naruto still didn't take his eyes off Sasuke. He was kind of scary when he was all serious like that. "I do, but I don't want him back if he's just going to hate us for it. Think about it, Sakura. If we force him to come back, not only will he be even more of a bastard than he was before he left, he'll just keep on trying to leave anyway to either go back to Oto or go after Itachi. Who are we to stop him?"

She really hated it when Naruto made perfect sense like that. Usually she was the level-headed one who saw logic without letting her emotions cloud her judgment…but now it seemed as though the tables were turned and it was Naruto's turn to be mature and make perfect sense. He was right, as much as she hated to admit it.

There was no point in forcing Sasuke to come back. But there had to be another way. She just needed more time.

She turned back to Sasuke to see him smirking at Naruto. "It hardly matters whether or not you want to take me back. I'm not going."

Sakura bit her lip apprehensively. "Okay, I understand," Sakura said softly. Sasuke returned his unrelenting gaze to her once again. "I'll tell you what he said," she took a deep breath and continued. "He said that he could tell us where you were. Naruto asked him why he would want to do something like that and he replied that it would benefit them because they wanted you out of the way."

"They want me out of the way? And how would telling you where I am accomplish that?" he replied almost scornfully.

Sakura ignored his disdainful tone and continued. "He wouldn't say. After thinking about it, I figured that it has something to do with Orochimaru. I mean, why else would he want _you_ out of the way? If they were doing something with Orochimaru, I don't know, planning to kill him or whatever, it would be a whole lot easier for Itachi to operate if you weren't there trying to kill him. It's just a question of what the Akatsuki are doing with him and why they think Naruto and I could keep you 'out of the way'."

Sasuke stared off into the distance, giving nothing away in his gaze, but she could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"They're not trying to kill him," Sasuke said more to himself than to them.

"What?" she and Naruto said simultaneously.

Sasuke looked at them blankly for a few moments before wordlessly turning around to leave.

Panic twisted in Sakura's chest, threatening to immobilize her.

_No, he can't walk away from me again! I won't let him!_

"Wait!" her limbs seemed to act of their own accord as her hand reached out and grabbed his arm. Sasuke glared daggers and tried to release his arm from her grip but he was unable to detach her as she utilised her chakra to increase her strength.

"What?" he hissed, quickly assessing the futility of attempted to physically extricate himself from her iron clasp.

Sakura gulped. This Sasuke was worse than the one from back in their genin days. "What do you know?"

"Does it matter?" he asked, obviously irritated.

Naruto planted himself in front of Sasuke, feet spread, hands on his hips. "Yes."

Sasuke just glared at him. "I fail to see how."

"Look, we just want to know if this has anything to do with Konoha. That's all we've been sent out here to do. Looking for you was just a personal mission on the side," Sakura replied evenly.

Sasuke paused for a few moments. "Why should I care about what happens to Konoha."

It was the answer Sakura expected of him, but that didn't mean it still didn't hurt to here the utter disregard for his home village and all the people who still resided within it.

"What difference does telling us make?" Sakura reasoned.

Still sensing Sasuke's indifference, Naruto stepped forward. "I said I would let you leave, you bastard, but there's no way you're budging from his spot before you tell us what the hell is going on. I'll send you back to that God forsaken snake as a pile of bones and blood and see what sort of vessel he can make of that."

Sasuke sighed, "I believe it does."

Sakura knew he'd relented not out of fear but out of a desire to get as far away from them as quickly as possible. Though perhaps he'd seen the glint of of Kyuubi looking out of Naruto's eyes, promising, hoping Naruto would carry out his threat so he could get in on the fun. Sasuke was able to subdue the fox, but at a very large cost to time and chakra. Why bother being stubborn when complying was simply easier.

"What do you know?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes.

Sasuke sighed again. "Not much. Orochimaru has been sending me out on assassinations. That is not unusual, but I have been on three alone this past week. It almost seems as though he's trying to get rid of me for set amounts of time. Now I have a feeling it has something to do with Itachi. I don't know of his plans, but one of the targets I had to kill was supposed to be a spy in Konoha, but he quit at the last minute so I killed him. End of story."

Sakura slowly let go of his arm as the implication of his words dawned on her, like the sun slowly rising in the east. Whatever the Akatsuki's business was with Orochimaru, it was not because they wanted to kill him. Not yet, at least.

"Konoha's in danger," she stated as she looked up at Sasuke, eyes wide. "You were sent to kill Goshinbu last week because he was unknowingly dealing weapons to Sound and his client was starting to ask for more and more weapons that Goshinbu was unwilling to supply. Then you were sent to kill a spy because he pulled out of spying in Konoha at the last minute. And now you've been sent to kill this Tyaka guy, probably for a reason related to the other assassinations, seeing as Goshinbu's wife, Rai, said that Goshinbu had dealings with Tyaka as well."

Sasuke looked at Sakura for a few moments before speaking. "Goshinbu, the weapons dealer, didn't know he was working for Sound?"

Sakura shook her head.

"Neither did the spy I killed. He only thought he was working for a guy called Sally."

Sakura gasped. "Sally? That's the guy Goshinbu was working for!"

"What do you know about Sally?" he demanded.

"Nothing at all."

"This Tyaka guy might know something about him," Sasuke said, again more to himself than her.

Sakura grinned. "So all we have to do is find him and ask him!"

Sasuke glared at her. If she hadn't known him, she probably would have peed herself. As it was, her bladder was bursting at the seams in terror. "Not we, I."

Naruto chose this moment to speak up. "I don't care if you don't give a rat's ass about Konoha, bastard, but we do! And we're going to protect it. And if that means finding out who this Sally guy is, then that's what we're going to do and nothing _you_ can do can stop us!"

Sakura nodded. "That's right, Sasuke, so you either let us come along willingly or have us come along unwillingly, which would take up a whole lot more of your. Your choice, but I can tell you this now - we'll be a lot less of a hassle if you just let us come with you."

Sasuke clenched his teeth in annoyance. "You want to come back to Oto with me? You'll be murdered."

Naruto laughed. "You're not going back to Oto! You may think you don't know me anymore, bastard, but I know you. You're not going back to Oto, you're going to try and find this Sally guy after you find Tyaka, just like us."

"It doesn't matter, I'm still going alone."

Sakura smiled sweetly. "Now what's the point in that, Sasuke, if we're just going to follow you anyway? Think about it - wouldn't it be so much better if we just travel with you? You already know we make a good team."

Sakura could see the muscle in his jaw move as he ground his teeth together in obvious irritation. "That was five years ago."

Sakura shrugged. "I'm sure we could regain our team dynamic in no time! Don't you think, Naruto?"

Naruto grinned mischievously. "Hell yeah!"

Sasuke shut his eyes for a few moments and when he opened them they were red. "No."

_Okay, time for last resorts. _

"Okay, how about I make a deal with you then."

"What kind of deal?" Sasuke asked with ice in his voice.

Sakura shut her eyes and inhaled deeply. She really didn't want to do this, but the future of Konoha was potentially on the line and she knew Sasuke could help them save it if only he'd agree to work with them.

"If you let us work together to find out what's going on, I promise that Naruto and I will stop looking for you forever. I swear it." Sakura's chest clenched as she forced the words out.

Naruto gaped at her. "Sakura, do you know what you're doing?"

Sakura smiled at him. "Like you said, we have to protect Konoha at any cost. We were both ANBU, I'm the Hokage's apprentice and you're the future Hokage. And like Kakashi-sensei said, the safety of Konoha takes precedence over bringing Sasuke back, and if this is what it takes…well…then I'm willing to do it."

Naruto smiled. "I'm proud of you, Sakura."

She smiled a 'thank you' and tried to ignore the pressure in her chest. She had just willing let a comrade go. Now, if Sasuke agreed to the deal, all she would be able to do is try and convince him to come back in the small amount of time they had. By the looks of things, she had more of a chance trying to convince Ino to have a sex change.

Her eyes did not leave Sasuke as he stared into the distance, deliberating. She knew she made a good bargain, especially if they were just going to follow him anyway.

After what seemed like an eternity Sasuke looked back to her, his dark eyes boring into her green ones.

"Okay."


	8. Unexpected

**A/N: I know I promised more Sasu/Saku action, but it's just not the right time for it so I guess you'll have to make do with Sakura's perverted thoughts (hehe). I tried to make this chapter slightly more humorous seeing as most of the previous chapters have been kind of...well, serious. I hope you like it at any rate! Enjoy! **

**Unexpected**

_It's like a thousand paper cuts_

_Soaked in vinegar_

_It's like your battles with yourself_

_That leave you insecure_

**_- _****"**_**Battles"**_**, The Spill Canvas**

Sasuke felt like killing something. Slowly. Painfully. He could not believe he just allowed _Sakura_ and _Naruto_ to accompany him.

Upon hearing that this whole thing had something to do with Itachi, he knew that he would not return to Oto until he'd found out what was going on for himself. No doubt Orochimaru would just lie to him and if that were the case, Sasuke could not trust himself to not kill the snake. Though he believed he could beat him, it would not be easy and he'd probably have to get through Kabuto first. He couldn't risk the perhaps-irreversible injuries either one of them could inflict.

He supposed having his former teammates with him did have its uses, however few. Just so long as they didn't get in his way. He had a strange feeling they would.

And above all, he was curious as to why Itachi thought _they_ could keep _him_ out of the Akatsuki's way. What power could they possibly hold over him?

000

As Sakura and Naruto walked a couple of meters behind Sasuke, Sakura still could not believe that they were back together as a team again, however makeshift it was. Sasuke almost seemed like a hologram that would disappear at any moment or a dream she would wake up from any time now. Maybe he was just a figment of her wild imagination.

Whatever it was, she could not take her eyes off him - they hungrily absorbed every detail about him. The way he dressed, the way he walked, the way his katana bumped against his back. Everything. If these days were going to be the last days she'd ever see him, she didn't want to miss a moment of them.

"Hey Sakura!" Naruto whispered in her ear.

She reluctantly tore her eyes from Sasuke and looked at Naruto. "What?" she hissed impatiently.

Naruto grinned. "Is it just me, or is Sasuke more of a bastard than he was before?"

Despite her best intentions, Sakura could not stop the grin that made its way onto her face. "Oh no, it's not just you, Naruto."

She almost froze as Sasuke's deep voice cut through the air. "You do know I can hear you."

Sakura's face flamed as she bit her lip. _Damn! How embarrassing!_

Naruto didn't seem to care as he continued to giggle beside her. Sakura elbowed him in the stomach and tried to cover her embarrassment.

"Um…where are we going?" Sakura asked timidly, hating that she sounded so uncertain. Sasuke had just told them to follow him, but now they were well out of the village.

"If you want to come along, shut the hell up and leave me alone," Sasuke replied emotionlessly.

Sakura felt her anger rising. Sasuke or not, he could not be such a bastard! She marched up to him and grabbed his forearm, spinning him around to a halt.

"You're not our team leader and you're not above us, even though you may think you are. We're going to do this together so you _will_ tell us where we're going." She glared at him, not missing the flash of surprise that crossed his face at the uncharacteristic forcefulness of words

But it wasn't long before it returned to his emotionless façade. "You're the ones who wanted to come with me. Feel free to leave anytime."

By this time Naruto had stopped beside them. "Look, bastard, I don't care how good you think you are. If this is going to work, we have to work together. I _know_ you know that so stop being such a stubborn ass!"

Sakura rubbed the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb. Could they not go five minutes without arguing? How the hell _was_ this going to work?

Sasuke looked away, jaw clenched. "Fine," he ground out between clenched teeth before looking back at them. "Did it ever occur to you that it may be the village that is wrong, not his name?"

_Err, no._ "Of course, but I didn't see any evidence to prove that," Sakura replied, expertly covering her dismay. How could she have overlooked something so painfully obvious?

Sasuke sighed like he was reprimanding a five-year-old. "Neither did I, but seeing as we were getting nowhere in that village, it would be prudent to check any nearby villages, in case he moved or in case the village was a cover for his real home. If we find nothing in these villages, then we'll return to the village we just left. Understand?"

She and Naruto both nodded silently. She could not deny the sense in his idea. "Okay, so are we travelling as civilians or shinobi?" Sakura hated handing the reins over to him, but it seemed they would all work better if she just let him handle the less important details so long as he told them the reasons behind his decisions.

Sasuke looked over her and Naruto's clothes, obviously noting their civilian appearance. "You will travel as civilians - a married couple. It is too uncommon for a young male and female to travel unaccompanied if they are not wed. You have hired me to protect you as you look for your long-lost uncle, whose whereabouts you don't know."

Naruto pouted childishly and looked away. "Whatever. Can we just go now?"

Sakura put a hand on his arm. "Shouldn't we rest for tonight and start again tomorrow?"

Sasuke sneered at her. "Are you really still that weak?"

Sakura swallowed her angry reply and called upon every bit of patience that was left within her. "No, but as a medic nin I know that it is not healthy for our bodies to go without rest overnight unless it is absolutely unavoidable. It is not a matter of whether or not we can handle it. The lack of rest will catch up with us eventually and hinder our abilities," she said slowly, trying to keep her tone in check.

Sasuke glared at her for a few moments before replying. "Fine."

000

Never had the thought occurred to him that they'd actually find Sasuke. He'd just gone along with Sakura's hopes and wishes knowing that it would be impossible to find him (much less bring him back), thinking that after this failed mission she'd finally give up on Sasuke. Then he would be able to take up the quest on his own and spare her the burden of it, just like he'd originally promised.

No, Naruto had never thought he'd be sitting under a tree, wide awake, watching Sakura and Sasuke slept no further than two meters from each other. After five years of separation, they were a team again.

It was almost too hard to believe, like he was part of some twisted dream and he'd wake up to find himself back in Konoha.

He didn't know how he was supposed to react upon seeing Sasuke again. He'd never thought to think about it, seeing as he thought it wouldn't happen anytime soon. Was he supposed to be happy? He was…in a way. Sort of. Was he supposed to hate him? He did…in a way. Sort of. Was he supposed to feel absolutely lost? He did…in a way. Sort of.

He didn't know what he'd subconsciously been expecting upon this unexpected reunion, but it wasn't this. He wasn't expecting this stranger.

He remembered thinking about it long ago, before the issue had moved to the back of his mind. He remembered expecting something like he and Sasuke to start fighting. That had always been their warped way of showing that they cared for each other. Their rivalry meant that Sasuke had actually _cared_ about what Naruto thought of him. But this Sasuke…this Sasuke looked at him as though he weren't really seeing him. Like it didn't matter at all.

He remembered expecting Sakura to cry with joy and throw her arms around Sasuke. Then he expected Sasuke to push her away like he always did. He didn't expect Sakura to keep her distance. He didn't expect Sasuke to almost kill her. He didn't expect Sakura to chance throwing her chance of being with Sasuke permanently away for Konoha. He didn't expect Sasuke to not care at all.

He remembered from back in their genin days when he'd fought Gaara. Hadn't it been Sasuke who had told Naruto to protect Sakura with his life? Hadn't it been Sasuke who had run after him in hopes of finding him before Itachi did?

Now…now there was nothing. Sasuke was like a hollow pot of clay. His outward appearance had been moulded slightly, some of the lines had been changed…but there was nothing within. It was just empty and _hollow_ and not Sasuke.

Sakura was convinced there was still something there. Naruto wasn't so sure.

He wondered when it was the tables had been turned. Wasn't _he_ the one who never gave up? Wasn't that _his_ nindo, _his_ ninja way? Wasn't _he_ the one who had always pulled Sakura along with his spirit?

Hadn't he promised her? Hadn't he promised her he'd bring Sasuke back? What had happened to that? What had happened to him that such solemn promises meant nothing anymore?

Naruto ground his teeth and clenched his fist to the point of pain. When had he become such a coward, running away from his responsibility? That was _not_ him.

He turned to look at the peaceful face of Sakura. Strange how it was only peaceful when she slept.

Then he looked at Sasuke, who had his back turned to them. Big surprise there. Sasuke had _always_ turned his back to them, never letting them get close enough.

_I_ will_ bring you back, Sasuke. I swear it. I don't care what you want. I'm gonna make sure you survive Itachi and then I'm gonna bring you back and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I swear it on my dream of being the Hokage. _

Sure, Sakura had promised Sasuke that after this they wouldn't look for him anymore, but he didn't care. He'd made a promise to Sakura that he'd bring Sasuke back _before_ that stupid promise. And that was more like Sakura's promise anyway. He had never agreed to his side of the bargain.

So that was that. Sasuke was going to come back no matter what…eventually.

000

Sakura yawned as she walked with Naruto, following Sasuke. She'd originally wanted to walk beside Sasuke, just like she used to, but her instincts told her that it probably wouldn't be a good idea. Her instincts were what warned her of danger at any time. She guessed Sasuke fell into their 'danger' category.

_Pfft. I could take him on. I'd smash a pretty little hole right through that pretty little face of his._

**Yeah, not like you'd want to though.**

_Shut up._

Obviously Inner Sakura was in Annoying Mode. She had two modes - Annoying Mode and Helpful Mode. She only liked Inner Sakura in Helpful Mode.

They walked in an unbearably uncomfortable silence and everything within her screamed to just open her mouth and say something - anything. Even something like "Oh dear, my pants are giving me the biggest wedgie imaginable." Not like she would say that (because her pants weren't giving her a wedgie), but pretty much anything would be preferable over this suffocating silence.

Even Naruto was silent, glaring at Sasuke like he could make him combust from the force of his gaze. It was wholly unusual and wholly unsettling. She had been expecting Naruto to treat Sasuke just like he used to back when they were genin. Actually, she had been counting on it. She had hoped that if Naruto did that, Sasuke would rise to the challenge/rivalry/whatever-else-they-wanted-to-cal led-it and that would bring a part of Sasuke's former, less-scary self up from the ashes, but _no_, Naruto just seemed content glaring at him.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Boys. No doubt Naruto was feeling threatened by Sasuke's immense aura of raw power that you could practically feel and wanted to be the alpha male once again or whatever it was they called it.

In her boredom she had begun taking bets with her Inner Self. How long would it take for Naruto to challenge Sasuke to a fight? She had bet three hours. Inner Sakura had bet two days. Naturally, Sakura thought she was right. Two days? What was that? There was no way Naruto would let his male pride remain in question for that long.

But then again, there was definitely something strange about the way he was acting. She couldn't remember the last time Naruto had been so silent. Sure, he'd matured a lot over the years, but he was still a thick-headed idiot who incessantly babbled on about nothing in particular. It used to annoy the crap out of her, but now she was missing it sorely.

It scared her when Naruto thought this much because there were two possible outcomes that would come of it. One: he would make sense for once and a lot of good would come out it. Two: he'd end up hurting something, usually himself, and she'd have to be the one who'd fix him.

And being a prime member (or so she thought) of the feminine species, she was, of course, as curious as hell as to _what_, exactly, he was thinking. It was just so infuriating! It was worse than trying to guess what Sasuke was thinking, because she assumed that was something along the lines of _kill Itachi, kill Itachi, eat, kill Itachi, sleep, kill Itachi, bathe _(she added the last one because it hadn't missed her notice that he smelled _really_ good). But with Naruto it was completely different. He usually vocalized what he was thinking so she didn't have to worry about it, but when he thought to himself, she couldn't help but wonder what it could be that he was thinking that he didn't want to share with the rest of the world like he usually did.

**Sakura, this train of thought isn't getting you anywhere. Maybe you should think of something more productive.**

_Like what, the possible impending doom of Konoha? No thanks. Sasuke's escalation from sexy, moody guy to sexy, moody bastard? No thanks._

**Ha, you just said Sasuke was sexy!**

_Again, shut up. I do not think Sasuke is sexy, okay?_

**Yeah, that's why your gaze keeps travelling too far south.**

Sakura snapped her eyes up. Damn, she had been staring at his ass again. It had been purely unintentional but, like every other time it had happened in the past two hours, her betraying green eyes seemed to look in that general vicinity.

**Unintentional? Please! Totally intentional. Look? Please! More like ogle! **

_I was not _ogling_! I was…appreciating._

**Come on! You were practically salivating over it!**

_Shut up, shut up! I don't need to explain myself to you!_

It wasn't _her_ fault Sasuke was insanely attractive (with a nice behind)! And that whole dangerous, I'll-kill-you _thing_ about him didn't help matters either. It was, like she had said, sexy. No living thing with the female reproductive system could deny that. It was just one of those undeniable truths of life. Sasuke was sexy.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, it disappeared - at least for her anyway. You wouldn't think it would be so hard to be polite, but she guessed Sasuke thought manners were _below_ him. Stupid, stuck-up, snobby…

_Why do I want him back again?_

**He's your friend and you love him. That's why.**

_Oh yeah, thanks, almost forgot. But you know I don't love him in _that_ way…just the way I love Naruto._

**Sure you don't.**

_Don't start with this again! _

**Fine, I'll let you remain in denial for now, but sooner or later it's going to hit you like a ton of bricks.**

_Whatever._

Really, she didn't know how she'd gotten such a stupid Inner self who _obviously_ didn't know _anything_.

"The village is one mile ahead."

Sakura was startled into reality as Sasuke's deep voice cut through the silence like one of the katana he had strapped to his back.

She squinted in the morning light, but saw nothing but trees and more trees. "How do you know that?" she asked, clearly confused.

Sasuke gave her a withering look. "I can see it," he stated like it was the most obvious thing ever.

_Well, sorry for not being almighty and powerful Mr. Uchiha. _

"Oh, okay."

Oh, how she wanted to voice her _real_ thoughts on the matter, but she didn't think Sasuke would want to come back to Konoha if _that_ was waiting for him. And what was that she had said to him about always loving him and never giving up on him? It seemed like the right thing to say at the time…now she wasn't so sure.

Hell, if she'd known Sasuke was going to make things so hard she would have kept her damn mouth shut. But she knew her thoughts had been correct at the time. All Sasuke knew was hate and revenge and pain and more dark stuff. How would giving him more of it help (as much as he might deserve it)? He needed unconditional love.

_God, why me! _

It would be no easy feat, especially with Naruto acting the way he was. Figures he wasn't all loud and energetic when she actually _wanted_ him to be.

Desperate to break the once-again suffocating silence, Sakura spoke.

"Um…so how do you plan on finding Tyaka?"

Sasuke was silent a few moments before answering. "Walk around, ask questions…threaten a few people with slow and painful death."

Sakura gasped. "What? No! We can't do that!"

Sasuke looked behind his shoulder at her with an eyebrow raised. "_We_ don't have to do anything. _I_, however, shall be."

Sakura gritted her teeth in an attempt to control her mounting anger. _I just need a little patience…_

"Sasuke, please. Can't we just use that as a last resort? It's not necessary if people give us the information we want," she replied in her most calm voice. She called it her Hospital Voice, the one she used when half-wit patients were bugging the _hell_ out of her and not doing what she needed them to do. Damn her unexplainable need to help people.

"Fine."

Sakura resisted the growing urge to scream and rip her hair out in frustration. Talking to Sasuke was like talking to a rock…but worse. At least you could throw a rock at something.

"_Can we stop here, Sasuke?" Pause. "No." Sigh. "Please, Sasuke?" Pause. "Fine."… "Can you stop that, Sasuke?" Pause. "No." Sigh. "Please, Sasuke?" Pause. "Fine."_

Gods above, if this kept up she was going to sound like a whining housewife, if she didn't already!

000

Sasuke didn't think it was possible to be in a worse mood than he already had been, but surprise. He was.

After finally arriving at the next village (it would have been so much faster if he were able to travel by himself) they had asked around like he said they would, for lack of a better idea.

Three hours. Three damn hours.

He was ready to revert to the 'I'll kill you slowly and painfully" idea. He would have done that, say, three hours ago, but Sakura had decided to follow him around. Figures. She _had_ always been the clingy sort.

But hell, he was _seriously_ going to start killing things if this took any longer. The less time he had to spend around Sakura and Naruto the better. It was just too weird to see them bickering and fighting like they had five years ago.

Naruto had been surprisingly quiet on the journey there and Sasuke had hoped it would stay that way for the remainder of their annoying quest, but alas, it had ended once he had spouted some asinine comment, causing Sakura to hit him over the head with more force than necessary.

"Look, old man! All I want to do is find my long lost uncle! Is that too much for your senile brain to understand?" Naruto was currently yelling into an old man's face as he shook him mercilessly.

Sakura pulled him away. "Naruto, hasn't anyone ever told you to respect your elders?"

Naruto pouted. "No. Why else do you think I'm so rude to the granny Hokage?"

Sakura groaned, like she was scolding a two-year-old…which probably wasn't too far from the truth in Naruto's case. "Naruto, we're not going to get any information if you keep treating people like rag dolls!"

Sasuke smirked. And she had thought _he_ was bad.

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, it's not my fault no one knows who Tyaka Irino is!"

As soon as the name left Naruto's lips, Sasuke heard a barely audible gasp come from a direction roughly northwest of him. He spun around to find a village girl with a basket in her hands turn to run.

_Oh, no you don't._

Before she could take another step, Sasuke was before her. Her large brown eyes widened even further as she gasped once again.

"P-Please! What are you doing?" she stuttered nervously.

Judging by her body language, she was definitely hiding something concerning Tyaka Irino.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" he heard Sakura yell. He paid no attention to her pointless protest.

"What do you know of Irino Tyaka?" he asked coldly, demanding.

"N-Nothing! Nothing! I swear!" she replied shakily. She was lying.

Sasuke just stared at her, knowing that in some instances silence was more intimidating than words. It only took so long for them to crack…

"What…what do you want with Tyaka Irino?" She whispered after a few tense moments.

Sasuke smirked. "So you _do_ know Tyaka?"

The girl looked down at her feet. "Yes…yes, I do."


	9. Oh, Humble Abode

**A/N: Well, this update came rather quickly, didn't it? This chapter is quite long and I'm hoping that the rest of my chapters will be as long. I kind of just had a rush of ideas and wrote and wrote. I still have many more ideas that I am just dying to write down, but I have been writing all night (literally) and my hand is starting to cramp so I really had to stop.**

**Nevertheless, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. It is a bit lighter because though I see the necessity in angst, I am just not an angsty person by nature and don't like writing too much of it at one time. So this is my pitiful attempt at humour. Also, Sasuke actually starts feeling something for Sakura in this chapter (GASP), though it is more downstairs than upstairs...but we all need to start somewhere, don't we? **

**Enjoy! **

**Oh, Humble Abode**

_With my hands under my belt and my neck so slightly turned_

_The scenery's in for the fireworks_

_But like some shadow you kept following me_

_Or like some sickness or some discomforting disease_

**_- "The Real Version of You"_****, Chasing Victory**

It was funny how things worked out. Really, it was. Sakura wondered just who was twisted enough to make life the way it was. Why did they have to make it so damn…backwards? It seriously confused things past the point of necessity.

For example, when she had been sent on the mission to heal Goshinbu, the last thing she had expected was to run into her long-lost, once-love Uchiha Sasuke. Yet, years before when she and Naruto and others had searched far and wide for him, they'd found nothing. Of course their long awaited reunion, however brief and fraught with tension, had happened five years later when she'd all but forgotten about looking for him.

Another example - they had searched for Tyaka Irino expecting an old man or something like that. It would have been _so_ much easier if they knew Tyaka was a _woman_.

But no, that's not where it started…

Sasuke had smirked. How familiar the sight was. It made her heart ache, not for the first time since she had seen him. It hurt to see familiar expressions on a boy who wasn't hers anymore.

"So you _do_ know Tyaka?" he had said, smugly satisfied that he had weaned the information from her.

The girl had flushed and looked down at the scuffed toes of her worn boots. "Yes…yes I do."

Of course by that point Naruto had become excited. He had practically leapt over there with that impossible grin on his face. "So where is he? Huh? Huh?"

Sasuke had gritted his teeth in annoyance and glared at Naruto. Sakura had just been surprised that he'd paid Naruto any attention at all. Until that point he'd mostly just acted like they weren't there. But she guessed Naruto did have that affect on people.

The poor girl had looked completely overwhelmed. Sakura couldn't really fault her for that. First, an extremely handsome shinobi practically threatens her without saying anything (she'd have to learn that trick some time) and then some obviously hyperactive, handsome blonde bounds over there and is all up in her face.

Again, the poor girl.

The girl had bit her lip as her eyes darted around nervously. "Um…why are you looking for Tyaka Irino?" she had asked with a surprisingly steady voice.

Again, before Sasuke could say anything, Naruto had jumped right in with that silly, confident grin. "Because he's my long-lost uncle and I wanna find him!"

At this point the girl looked like she was trying not to laugh. "Um…Tyaka doesn't have any nephews."

Naruto had rolled his eyes. "Well of _course_ you wouldn't know about me! I'm his _long-lost_ nephew!"

The girl had definitely been trying to keep at straight face. Sakura watched on in amusement as Sasuke clenched his fists in continued annoyance.

"Tyaka doesn't have any nephews," she simply repeated.

Sakura could tell that Naruto was going to say something even more stupid and she could tell that if she didn't intervene, Sasuke was just going to knock him unconscious. So with an impatient sigh, she walked over to the girl, who looked about fifteen. The girl had been staring at Sasuke.

Figured. Sasuke did kind of have that affect on people…uh…girls. What _did _annoy Sakura was that this girl was reasonably attractive.

But Sakura had pushed the highly irrational feeling aside (she was _fifteen_) and approached the girl carefully. "Hi, I'm Sakura. What's your name?"

The girl had looked up at her with an expression of awe on her face. For a moment Sakura had felt a stab of pride, but then figured it probably wasn't awe at her obvious beauty (err…) or obvious charisma (um…), but at the fact that she was actually wasn't insane after having travelled with these two guys.

"My name is…Myra," she had replied softly.

Sakura had smiled comfortingly (well, _she_ thought it was a comforting smile anyway - Naruto told her later that it was homicidal. Sakura punched him). "Nice name."

Myra had blushed prettily. "Thanks."

"Anyway, you're right. Naruto here _isn't_ Tyaka's long-lost nephew," she had said, shooting a pointed glare at Naruto who had pouted. "That was just our cover story."

"Cover story?"

Sakura had nodded. "Yes, for protection. You see, we're actually shinobi from Konoha." This time she had looked at Sasuke, trying to communicate to him that he should just pretend he was a shinobi from Konoha for now. He had simply raised an eyebrow. She had taken that as understanding and acceptance of her silent request.

"Konoha?" Myra had looked suspiciously at Naruto and Sasuke. "How do I know?"

Sakura had reached into her top and pulled out her Konoha head band. "Because we're disguised as civilians we can't wear these."

"If you're shinobi from Konoha, what could you possibly want with Tyaka?" Myra had asked, confused.

"We have information that an assassin from Sound is after Tyaka and we are here to stop them and find out why." Again, she looked at Sasuke pointedly, hoping he wouldn't do or say anything to reveal that _he_ was the assassin from Sound.

He had remained silent.

Myra's eyes had widened in fear. "An assassin? But why? Tyaka has nothing to do with Sound!"

Sakura had looked up at Naruto and Sasuke at that point. It hadn't been the first time they'd heard that one.

"That's where you're wrong," Sasuke had stated, leaving no room for argument.

Myra had looked back down at her feet. Her small arms had clutched her basket even tighter.

"Will you take us to him?" Sakura asked gently.

Myra had nodded silently.

And that was how the ended up face-to-face with a middle-aged woman with black hair and laugh lines, not an old man like Sakura had pictured in her mind.

Naruto looked equally shocked. Sasuke looked…bored, as per usual.

'Tyaka Irino ' looked at them warily as Myra walked into her outstretched arms. "I see you have met my daughter."

_Daughter?_ Well, she supposed that did make sense.

"Yes," Sakura replied evenly to what was probably a rhetorical question.

"Why have you come looking for me?" she asked.

Sakura repeated what she told Myra.

'Tyaka' had raised an eyebrow in surprise. "The Sound? I was not working for the Sound at all."

Sasuke gazed at her levelly. "Were you by any chance working for Sally?"

The mystery woman's eyebrows raised in further surprise. "Why…yes, but how did you know that?"

"Coz' all the other people who have been killed were working for him," Naruto blurted out.

"All the other people?" 'Tyaka' repeated with a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"Yes. We have reason to believe you are next on the hit list," Sakura said.

"And how did you come to that conclusion?"

Sakura cast a glance at Naruto and Sasuke. "Well, it depends on if you were working for Sally and pulled out."

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. Sally had just told me that he was no longer in need of my services."

"Then that is why you are to be killed," Sasuke said.

'Tyaka' stared at them for a long moment. "Why should I believe you?"

"Can you really risk it?" Sakura replied.

'Tyaka' shut her eyes for a few seconds and sighed. "No, I guess I can't. I suppose if you had come to kill me you would have done so already."

Sakura smiled brightly. "Excellent! Do you mind if we come in and ask you a few questions?"

Before she knew it they were inside an average looking hut sitting on average looking chairs around an average looking table. Well, at least most of them were sitting. Sasuke was standing up, arms crossed, leaning against the far wall.

It remained a mystery to her. Correction - _he_ remained a mystery to her, an enigma - one she wasn't even close to figuring out.

What she also couldn't figure out was her utter lack of...well, she didn't know what to call it. She was waiting for it all to hit home. She was _with_ Sasuke. _She_ was with Sasuke. She was with _Sasuke_. Surely she should be reacting differently to this. Instead, it was sort of like "Oh, yeah, whatever." But it _wasn't_ whatever. It felt so…natural, and yet not at the same time. She could even begin to understand it.

**Now is not the time to think about it.**

_True._

"So, what is it you would like to know?"

Sakura blinked. "Well…your real name would be nice."

The lady smiled wryly. "My real name is Tura. I use Tyaka Irino as an alias for my business, for safety."

Sakura nodded in understanding. "And what might that business be?"

Tura smiled almost sheepishly. "I must admit it is not the most noble of businesses, hence the alias. I just do what I must to provide for my daughter and myself."

Sakura nodded. She wasn't here to scold the woman on her choice of career. "I understand."

"I deal in…spies."

Beside her Naruto scratched his head. "How the hell do you do that?"

Tura smiled. "A client contacts me, I find a reliable and accomplished spy for them. No questions asked."

Naruto snorted. "Well, you probably should have asked questions in this case, lady."

Tura simply smiled pleasantly and turned to Myra, who was standing next to her. "Myra, dear, can you please get our guests some refreshments?" she turned back to the three shinobi. "I'm sure you've travelled a while."

Naruto scowled. "We sure have! You sure did make it hard for us to find you!"

Tura laughed. "Well, that's the whole idea. I make it hard for people to find me for two reasons. One being the obvious one: in case people want to kill me. The second being that I know a client is worthy of my assistance if they can find me. It narrows down the risk and ups the prices."

"Smart," Sakura commented.

Tura inclined her head. "Thank you."

"Did you know what you were procuring spies for?" Sakura asked.

Tura shook her head. "No. Like I said, I merely get the supplies, no questions asked."

Naruto snorted again. "Well, that's real helpful."

Sakura glared at him. "Shut up, idiot, just be glad we found her in the first place." She plastered a sweet smile on her face and turned back to the amused-looking Tura. "So, what do you know about Sally?"

"Next to nothing, though I can give you a physical description of him."

Sakura sighed. "That's better than nothing, I suppose. Do you think you could draw him?"

Tura shrugged. "I could try. I never was that bad at drawing."

Sakura smiled. Things were finally turning up. "Excellent!"

Tura stood. "I'll just find some supplies."

As soon as she left the room, Sakura turned to Naruto. "So, what do you think?"

Naruto gave her a blank look. "About what?"

_Patience, patience. _"About the information, idiot!" _So much for patience._

"It is adequate. Like you said, better than nothing," Sasuke spoke suddenly. The sound startled her. She almost forgot he was there. Almost.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something further, but was interrupted when Myra re-entered the room with a tray of drinks and food.

Naruto's face immediately lit up. He was watching the food eagerly, but Myra went to Sasuke first, blushing as she approached him.

"Um…h-here."

Sasuke regarded her blankly. "No thanks."

She looked crestfallen as she turned and walked away. Sakura sighed. Why did he have to be so cruel?

Myra came to her next. Sakura sure wasn't going to reject the kindly offered food. She was starved. "Thanks!" She smiled as she picked up a glass of water and a sandwich.

Then Naruto practically inhaled what was left on the plate.

"Geez, Naruto, use table manners! I didn't go through all that pain and suffering to teach you for you to never use them!"

As soon as Sakura figured out that Naruto had had no parents to teach him the simple things like table manners, or manners in general, she had immediately jumped in to lend a hand. After all, any decent shinobi should know how to handle himself (or herself) properly at a table or in public, especially if said shinobi was aspiring to be the next Hokage.

After spending far too much time trying to teach him the basics of table manners, she came to the conclusion that while Naruto would definitely get to the stature of Hokage, she had absolutely _no_ idea what he would do when he got there. It seemed as though she had no choice but to become his right-hand man…err…woman. Really, he'd be hopeless without her. He could handle all the paperwork and boring stuff while she could attend the political dinners and the functions in his place seeing as, unless some miracle happened, he clearly wasn't fit to be seen in the public eye.

"Okay, here it is!"

Sakura was momentarily distracted from her inner musings as Tura walked in waving a piece of paper around. Tura was not the kind of woman she had thought would be involved in a business as fickle as the intelligence industry. Her disposition was far too cheerful and…well…just _happy_. But Sakura suspected that under the sunny disposition lay an iron will and a lady no one in their right mind would want to mess with.

Tura leaned over the table and handed the piece of paper to Sakura. It was then that Sakura realized that Tura probably thought she was the leader here. Technically, she sort of was…at the beginning anyway, but Sasuke had kind of just taken the mantle off her shoulders. It was no surprise that Tura thought she was the leader though. She had done all the talking after all. Naruto was just too…blunt. Sasuke was just too…silent.

As Sakura looked over the fairly well-drawn picture in her hand her brows shot up towards her hairline in surprise. Apparently Sally was quite handsome. In her mind's eye she had drawn someone that made your toes curl in your shoes from disgust - someone like Orochimaru (she honestly did not know how Sasuke had been able to stand looking at him for as long as he had). But no, here was an attractive young man who looked like just any other attractive young man.

Sakura looked up at Tura. "Nice drawing."

Tura smiled warmly. "Thanks." Her eyes drifted over to Sasuke. "Don't you want to give the picture to your team leader?"

Sakura's ego promptly crashed to rock bottom. _Do I really look that incapable?_ Well, next to Sasuke, she probably did.

Tura must have seen her scowl as she immediately looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, did I get it wrong?"

Sakura could _feel_ Sasuke smirking behind her. _Yeah, of course he would find this funny._ And she could hear Naruto snicker beside her. She stomped his foot, he yelped, and she planted another pleasant smile on her face.

"Well, technically you're not, but he's not exactly the official leader of this mission. We're kind of…co-leaders," she supplied weakly.

This time she could feel Sasuke glare a hole through her head. She almost put her hand up there to check if it was still intact. Beside her, Naruto let out a cry of protest.

"_Hey_! Who made you two the co-leaders? What does that make me?"

Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "That makes you more of like a henchman or something."

"_HEY_! I am _not_ a _henchman_! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage!"

Tura looked at him in surprise. "Uzumaki Naruto? _You're_ Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto grinned in delight. "At least someone has heard of my superior strength and ability!"

Sakura groaned as Tura laughed. She swore she heard Sasuke snort in derision behind her, though it must have been her imagination. Sasuke did not_ snort_ at anything, even Naruto's stupid antics.

"Well, not exactly. I _do_ know you're the Kyuubi kid, the Jinchuriki."

Naruto's expression fell. "Great. That's what _everyone_ knows me for." Then his expression brightened immediately. "But one day everyone's gonna know my name coz I'm the Hokage and they'll all forget about that stupid Kyuubi!"

Tura smiled at him. "Well, when that happens I'll be sure to say that I once spoke to the acclaimed Hokage." Naruto grinned even wider as Tura turned to Sakura. "And you must be Haruno Sakura, right?"

Sakura was taken back. Tura knew who she was? "Um…yes."

Tura nodded thoughtfully. "The current apprentice of the Hokage. They say you're almost just as good as her and more than half her age. Impressive."

Now it was Sakura's turn to grin widely. "Thanks!" She always did love getting complimented. "How did you know who I was?"

Tura shrugged. "Well, the pink hair sort of gave it away. Your picture is in this year's 'International Shinobi Digest.'"

Sakura gaped at her. "No freaking _way_! That is so _awesome_!"

Tura laughed. "Well, yes, I guess it is."

Sakura sat back in her chair, immensely pleased with herself.

**Well done, Sakura. You made it into the acclaimed ****_Digest_****.**

_Why thank you, Inner Sakura, I suppose I did._

"Aw, man! How come _I'm_ not in there?" Naruto grumbled beside her.

Sakura smiled at him, still incredibly proud of herself. "I'm sorry, Naruto, I guess you're just not good enough," she teased.

Naruto sunk down in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. "What_ever_. I won't need to be in a stupid book when I'm the Hokage," he mumbled.

Sakura flicked her bangs out of her eyes. "You just keep telling yourself that, Naruto."

Sakura was still grinning to herself when Tura turned her gaze to Sasuke once again.

"You must be Uchiha Sasuke. I must say, I never expected I'd ever meet one of the two last surviving members of the Uchiha clan in my lifetime."

Sakura nearly fell out of her chair in surprise. She turned around the gauge Sasuke's reaction. He only looked mildly surprised and not at all perturbed at her correct deduction.

"How…how did you know?" Sakura asked while trying not to gape. This lady was _good_.

Tura laughed at her expression. "Well, I was a spy, you know. How else did I get into this business?"

"Oh."

"But that's not how I figured it was him. Firstly, I saw him back in Konoha when he was twelve and fighting that formidable Sand nin, Gaara. I was at the tournament, taking a holiday with my deceased husband and Myra, though she was only a little girl at the time. How could I forget that? You were the highlight of entire show. The anticipation was immense."

Well, she hadn't expected that.

"He wasn't that great," Naruto mumbled, probably still put out about the book thing.

Tura smiled at him. "You weren't bad yourself, Naruto. Actually, you were superb. I'll never forget out you took down that Hyuga."

Naruto smiled to himself. "Yeah, that was pretty awesome."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Wow, Naruto, your humility amazes me."

"What? I'm just being honest!"

Tura laughed. "Well, honesty is always appreciated." She paused. "Anyway, when I figured out who you two were, it was a simple deduction. I knew you three used to be team mates back then and though his appearance has changed slightly, I could tell it was the Uchiha. Besides, there's no mistaking _that_ overwhelming aura!"

Again, Sakura could feel Sasuke smirking.

"It's not _that_ overwhelming," Naruto grumbled beside her.

"Give it a rest, Naruto." She looked back at the paper in her hand. "We kind of got off topic there. Would you mind telling us about Sally?"

"Sure." Tura seemed to think for a moment before she began to speak. "Well, he has a very commanding presence. That's the first thing I noticed about him. He looks like you're average, attractive thirty-year-old, but there was something about him that caught your eyes, that demanded you take notice and obey. It would be intimidating to anyone else, but I don't get easily intimidated." She smiled and Sakura did not doubt her one bit. "He simply came, told me what he wanted, paid me, told me when he'd be back and left."

"Was there anything about him that stood out? Physical or otherwise," Sakura asked.

Tura thought for a moment. "Well, his eyes were blue, his hair a light brown. He dressed in civilian clothes both times I saw him, but there was something, I don't know, almost dangerous about him. It was almost as though I knew he could take my head off if he wanted to. I think he is a shinobi or had been one before. He definitely had that grace and edge about him. All I can say is don't underestimate his abilities, intellectual or otherwise."

Sakura nodded. "Warning heard and appreciated. Did you notice any particular weaknesses about him?"

Tura shook her head. "No. He was almost as closed as Uchiha-san over here." She smiled and Sakura smiled with her. She liked this lady's sense of humour…especially if it was at Sasuke's expense.

"Thank you for helping us." She paused. "Why _did_ you help us?"

Tura shrugged. "When it became obvious that you were here to help me, not kill me, I thought I should help you with your quest. I usually don't tell anyone anything about my clients at any time, but hell, if the bastard put my life in danger without telling me, I can make an exception." She smiled, causing the corners of her eyes to crinkle.

She reminded Sakura of a female version of the Third Hokage. She had not known the Third personally, but she knew what he had been like. He had been very gentle and peaceful, but could also be one powerful shinobi you did not want to get on the wrong side of. And he was very, very wise. But she guessed that came with age. That'd explain why Kakashi was so wise.

She giggled inwardly. If she had said that aloud with Kakashi in hearing distance, he would have looked at her in amazement and probably tell her all the reasons that proved he was not old, all of which would be absolute rubbish. And he _was_ old. Thirty-one was old in her mind. She wondered if he'd procured any wrinkles over the years. Maybe that was why he wore a mask, so no one could see him age. It would explain his paranoia of people calling him old. Maybe if he didn't have white hair…

"Well, we're very thankful. You've made our job a _whole_ lot easier!"

Tura smiled warmly. "How about you stay here the night?"

Sakura's mouth opened in surprise. She sure as hell hadn't been expected such hospitality. "Well…I…we-we couldn't impose on you like that!"

"What are you talking about, Sakura!" Naruto protested loudly. "I don't know about you, but I'd like to stay in a proper bed for once! God knows how long we're going to be sleeping on the ground after this!"

Naruto did have a point.

"Really, it's no trouble. And it's the least I can do after you kids practically saved my life. Besides, I'd feel a lot safer sleeping if I knew I had three extremely skilled shinobi nearby," Tura said reassuringly.

Sakura doubted Tura wasn't fully capable of protecting herself, but who was she to argue with a warm, soft bed?

She turned to look at Sasuke. "Well, do you want to stay?" There really was no point in leaving now. It was late afternoon, but she didn't want to make any decisions without getting the approval of_ all_ the team members, even if Sasuke didn't want to consider himself a team member.

Sasuke shrugged. "Okay."

Sakura smiled brightly and turned back to Tura. "Well, I guess that settles it! We're staying the night!"

000

Sasuke was leaning against a tree staring at the setting sun, wondering if he should kill Tura or not. That was his mission and he'd never left a mission incomplete.

But there was no doubt the lines were slightly blurred with this one.

He didn't know if it even mattered anymore, seeing as he had all but turned his back on Orochimaru, at least until he figured out what was going on. If he then decided to return to Orochimaru, Orochimaru would have no choice but to welcome him back if he wanted the use of his body one day.

And killing this woman ultimately meant helping Orochimaru when he didn't even know if he wanted to help Orochimaru, especially if Orochimaru was in league with Itachi and the Akatsuki.

Maybe he'd just put the mission on hold until he decided what side he was on. If he put the mission on hold, he wasn't exactly leaving in incomplete. He was postponing it. And if he ultimately decided not to kill her, then that didn't matter either because that meant he had changed his disposition and it no longer mattered.

Besides, it was probably rude to kill the lady who had generously offered to house them for the night. Sleeping on the ground didn't bother him, but he definitely preferred sleeping in a bed.

Faint voices interrupted his thoughts and he turned around to determine where they had come from.

It was the daughter, Myra, and Sakura.

He continued to watch them out of pure curiosity. It seemed they were having a light discussion judging by Myra's audible laugh.

Sasuke was in the perfect vantage point to watch them while they would not be able to see him. He was not eavesdropping, as he could not hear them, and he was not spying as they were not doing anything in secret and he wasn't _really_ interested in what they were doing. They had been the ones to walk in on his meditation after all. He was merely observing them until they decided to leave.

They each had a small basket in one arm and were continually bending down the ground as they talked. He assumed they were picking vegetables or something like that, judging by the objects they deposited into the baskets.

Then Sakura laughed and the sight of it made his breath catch. And for the life of him, he did not know why. Maybe it was the way the orange glow of the sunset hit her hair and face, making her hair the colour of peaches and casting her usually pale skin in a golden glow. Maybe it was the fact that laughter, genuine laughter, was somewhat of a rarity in his life. After all, what could he possibly laugh about after seeing what he had seen, after doing what he had done? Maybe it was her innocence - another rarity for him. Judging by her status, she had probably killed many times, she had probably seen horrible things of her own, at yet she remained carefree and innocent. Or maybe it was because at that moment she had never looked more beautiful.

Wait.

_Beautiful?_

Since when had he ever thought Sakura was beautiful? When had he ever thought she was attractive, even?

He had never really noticed her physical appearance when they were twelve. Maybe it was because he hadn't really had hormones at that point and was too busy building his strength as a shinobi to notice what she looked like. But surely he would have noticed if she had looked particularly nice. From what he could recall, that had never happened.

When he saw her again for the first time just over a week ago, he had noted her different appearance, but it hadn't really mattered. What_ had_ mattered at the time was that she had seen him when he didn't want her to. He had been focused on what do to with her, not on what she looked like.

These past two days he'd been too annoyed with both her and Naruto to care at all. He barely looked at her.

But now…now it hit him with the force of a gale wind and he found he couldn't move his mind from the unexpected topic. Now he was taking _full_ notice.

She was taller than what she had been when they were younger. She'd never been short - Naruto had been the short one - but now she was long and slender without appearing lanky. As he watched her constant motion he noticed her movements were graceful, measured. Like a dancer…or a skilled shinobi.

She was obviously fit. She would have to be if she wanted to keep up with her male counterparts (which it seemed she had done), but she was not too muscled. She was toned rather and had not lost her womanly shape.

Womanly shape. That was one way of putting it - the safe way. He supposed he shouldn't really dwell on that, but he did anyway. She had shape, but not too much shape. She was well proportioned. Her shoulders were narrow; her arms were long and slim. She was not flat…that was the only way he could put it without feeling like a pervert, which he was not. She was not flat, but she was not too big either. Her waist was narrow and feminine. Delicate. At least it looked delicate. Her hips flared out slightly - smoothly. Her legs…well, she probably had the best legs he'd ever seen on a female. Sure, he hadn't exactly gone around looking, but he did notice such things. He was seventeen after all. And Sakura's legs…

He could easily define their shape because of the clothes she was wearing, just like he could define the shape of the rest of her body. She wore a dress very similar to that of the one she wore years ago. This dress was the same colour and had the same circular symbol on it, but it had no sleeves and was a tighter fit. It ended mid-thigh and still had the two splits up the side that would have been indecent had she not had the tight, black leggings underneath.

These leggings were what gave away the shape of her legs.

They were slender and long…and very toned and lean. He was too far away to see, but he could almost imagine the way those muscles would shift under her porcelain skin as she moved. Her thighs weren't too wide, her calves weren't too slim…they were perfectly shaped, perfectly curved…

_Okay, I _really_ need to stop thinking about this…_

This was really the most inopportune time for his hormones to decide to make an appearance. They didn't come around often, and when they did they were fairly easy to ignore. It was simply look but don't touch. He could not afford distractions with his quest, which was precisely why this was a problem. He was never around females for a prolonged amount of time so it didn't really matter if he found one or two mildly attractive.

But the fact that he was probably going to be spending a prolonged amount of time around Sakura and the fact that he thought she was beautiful was a problem. The last thing he needed was his hormones acting up. It wasn't like he wanted to find Sakura beautiful. It wasn't like he liked Sakura herself. She was annoying. It was just those legs…

"Beautiful, isn't she?"

The unexpected voice startled him and he tried to conceal his shock. Had Tura just caught him staring at Sakura?

"What is?" he asked, trying to feign indifference.

"The sunset. We always get beautiful sunsets around these parts."

Sasuke failed to see how this had anything to do with him or why she was here in the first place. He was just glad she thought he'd been staring at the sunset, not Sakura.

He remained silent, hoping she'd get the hint and leave him the hell alone so he could get back to trying not to think about Sakura's legs.

"So, you're Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke groaned inwardly in annoyance. "I believe we've already established that."

Tura laughed loudly. "Well, you certainly aren't one for conversation."

"Not pointless conversation anyway," he muttered under his breath, not caring if Tura heard him or not.

"I was not aware that you had returned to Konoha. I have many connections there and none of them have informed me of your return. I thought something of that scale would be a huge deal. To think - the return of the exiled last Uchiha."

Sasuke almost sighed in annoyance. "I was not exiled, I left by choice."

"Ah, that's right. So you did. What gets me about that is why? I mean, why would you return to Konoha when you haven't yet killed Itachi? And what happened to the body swap with Orochimaru?"

Sasuke continued to stare blankly ahead. "It's not a body swap. He is planning to take over my body completely." This lady really needed to get her facts straight. Some spy.

"So he's still planning that, is he? Even though you've left?"

Sasuke wanted to laugh. She thought she was being so cunning, trapping him into admitting that he hadn't returned to Konoha when really, he didn't care less if she knew he was still with the Sound…sort of anyway. There was nothing this lady could do to harm him in any way.

"I have not returned to Konoha." Just as Tura was about to pride herself in her 'triumph,' he continued with: "But I have left Oto…for the time being."

"I see. And why is it that you lied to me?"

"I didn't lie to you. Sakura did. I merely did not correct her," he was seriously getting tired of her asinine questions.

"And why did she lie to me?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself." _And leave me the hell alone._

"So why did you leave Oto…for the time being."

"That…is none of your concern." Like he really had to explain himself to this woman, whether she was housing him or not. It was none of her damn business.

"Fair enough."

Silence stretched between them and Sasuke was beginning to think she was finally going to leave. It was wishful thinking.

"Were you the assassin sent to kill me?"

One side of his mouth curled into a sardonic smile. "Perhaps. And if I was?"

Tura shrugged. "Well, I'm quite certain you could easily overpower me if you wanted to. The question is - why haven't you?"

"Like I said, I have left Oto for the time being. Your death is not in my best interests at the moment."

He could feel her eyes on him, trying to read him. "And if it is in your best interests in the future?"

Sasuke finally looked at her, his gaze piercing, though giving away nothing. "Then you will be seeing me again."

She held his gaze, though he could sense the prick of fear in her eyes. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't throw you out right now?"

Sasuke smirked. "So I don't kill you now."

To his surprise, Tura laughed out loud, throwing her head back. "Fair enough, fair enough." She wiped her eyes as though she was wiping away tears. "Dinner will be ready soon."

And she left him there staring at her wake in a mix of confusion and annoyance…annoyance being the most prominent.

_Strange woman._

He looked back to where Sakura had been before only to find that she was gone.

000

"Myra, can you please fetch some vegetables for dinner! By the look of some of our guests, I think we'll need quite a few!" Tura yelled through the house, laughing through the last sentence. No doubt she was referring to Naruto.

Sakura looked on as Myra entered the kitchen, wiping her hands on her dress.

"Yes, Mama."

She walked outside and Sakura, for lack of anything better to do, followed her. "Do you need any help?" she asked the girl.

Myra twirled around, surprised that Sakura had been following her. "Oh…um…no, no! I'm fine! You're a guest, you shouldn't be helping anyway."

Sakura grinned. "Well, that's true, but you see, I can't really sit still for too long and my fingers are just aching to do something, so if you let me help you, you'll be doing me a huge favour."

Myra seemed to consider her words for a few moments before nodded. "Okay." She picked up two baskets that were leaning against the door and handed one to Sakura. "Just follow my lead. Picking vegetables isn't hard."

"Yes, I know," Sakura replied as they approached the garden and began picking. "My parents have a vegetable garden. When I still lived at home I used to help my mother pick vegetables."

Myra looked surprised. "You're parents weren't shinobi like you?"

Sakura shook her head. "It's true that most shinobi's parents were shinobi, but there are a few cases in which did not occur. My mother and father own a grocery shop."

Myra blinked in surprise. "Wow, I never would have thought that. You seemed to be a very strong shinobi. I heard Mother say you've been trained by the Hokage herself!"

Sakura smiled. "Well, it wasn't easy for me to get to the level I'm at today. I didn't have the natural talent that most shinobi my age with shinobi for parents had. I didn't have a trademark move like most of them did. I didn't have a trademark birthright or bloodline. My last name was of no consequence. But what I did have was a good brain and perfect chakra control." Sakura paused. "Do you know what chakra is?"

Myra nodded as she pulled out a carrot. "Yes, Mother has taught be all about the ways of shinobi."

"Excellent. So yeah, that's all I had. When I was younger and in the same team as Sasuke and Naruto, I didn't amount to much. I spent more time obsessing over my appearance and Sasuke than training, so I was weak."

Myra smiled. "You liked Sasuke?"

Sakura laughed. "Pretty much every girl my age did, but I thought I was special because I was on the same team as him."

Myra looked up at her with a wide-eyed expression. "Were you special…to him, I mean?"

The question, innocent in its intentions, stopped her in her tracks. Had she been special to him? Had he ever really cared at all? She didn't know if she wanted to think about it at the moment.

So she shrugged. "I don't know. As you can probably tell, it's kind of hard to read Sasuke."

That got a laugh out of the quiet girl.

"So anyway, I was really weak and pathetic. Then Sasuke left to get stronger and that sucked to put it simply. Then Naruto left with his new sensei to get stronger and that sucked too. So I decided I wanted to get stronger as well, but not the way they did it. So I got Tsunade-shishou to train me. It wasn't easy to get her to agree, but I guess she eventually saw my potential. My abilities are similar to hers so they were easy to work with, easy to mould. And after years of hard work I could finally call myself a strong kunoichi. And here I am today."

Myra looked up at her with admiration in her eyes. "Wow, that story kind of makes me feel useless. I'm nearly fifteen and I'm still at home living off my mother, not doing anything particularly important with my life."

Sakura smiled. "Well, the life I lead is not meant for everyone. We can all do something important - it's just that some do it in more subtle ways than others. I was destined to do it in a more obvious way, but that doesn't mean that what you do will be any less important."

"I suppose." A blush spread across her cheeks. "Um…so did Naruto and Sasuke have shinobi parents?"

Sakura paused. She didn't really see the need in telling Sasuke's horror story of a life or Naruto's for that matter. She probably knew the basics anyway.

"Yes, they did. Sasuke's parents were very powerful Uchihas. I don't really know who Naruto's mother was, though I suspect she was something strong in both ability and spirit, but his Father was the Fourth Hokage."

Myra's eyes widened. "His father was the _Fourth Hokage_?"

Sakura smiled at nodded. "Yes. You think _you're_ surprised! You should have seen _his_ face when he found out!"

Myra giggled. "It must have been funny."

Sakura thought carefully. "Well, at first he was angry that no one had told him before. Then he was angry that his own father had sealed what is possibly the most fearsome and powerful beast in the land inside of him, therefore practically destroying his childhood. But then he eventually understood how that was the only thing the Fourth could have done at the time and now the very beast that had cursed his existence is one of his biggest strengths. Now he's proud that the Fourth was his father, but unfortunately for me, that just caused him to go on and on about how much more that meant he was supposed to be the Hokage one day."

Myra giggled again. "I can imagine that."

Sakura grinned. "_You're_ not the one who has to live through it…but I couldn't ask for a better friend, even if he is an idiot." She ripped another vegetable out of the ground. "So what about your parents?"

Myra was silent for a few moments. "Well, my father died in the Konoha siege orchestrated by Orochimaru."

Sakura gasped sharply. "Oh, I'm so sorry for bringing it up! That was a horrible time for all of us!" It had been around that time when Sasuke left. But he hadn't actually _died_.

Myra smiled sadly. "It's okay. It's sort of nice to talk about him. I never get the chance to. Mother never wants to. It hurts too much for her. I think she sort of blames herself for it seeing as it was her idea to attend the tournament. But I don't blame her. How could she have known?"

Sakura shook her head. "That is so sad."

"Yes. She's never been the same since. Sure, she's never treated me any differently. She still loves me just as much, if not more, but she's so sad. She used to laugh all the time. Actually, I think today was the most I've ever seen her laugh in a long time," Myra said, smiling.

Sakura smiled with her. "Yeah, Naruto does have that affect on people."

"I think that's why she asked you all to stay. You make her want to laugh again. She's been sad for so long now and it hurts to see her like that. But father's death was a huge blow to her. She said he'd saved her. She never really went into detail, but I think that when they met she was a spy. She didn't want to be, but she was in servitude to this really horrible guy. I don't know the details of that, but what I do know is that one time her master sent her out to spy on this group of shinobi that were apparently trying to break into his building and kill him or something like that. Well, they caught her as she was spying on them and kept her captive. My father was one of those shinobi and they fell in love. He married her and they moved here to live out a quiet life."

Sakura had tears in her eyes. "_God_, that is probably the saddest, most romantic thing I've ever heard!" she exclaimed as her hand fluttered over her heart. It pained her to think that such a beautiful thing had to end in such a horrible way…and all because of Orochimaru. She hated him even more now. She hadn't thought that was possible.

"I know. Because he had been a Konoha shinobi once, he felt it was his duty to help fight. He didn't return."

Sakura blinked back the tears that weren't hers to shed and tried to bring the conversation back to happier grounds. Myra had said she liked talking about her father, so she'd start with that.

"Was your father a quiet person, by any chance?" Sakura asked.

Myra looked up at her in surprise. "Yes, he was. How did you know?"

Sakura smiled gently. "Because you're mother seems like a strong-willed, outspoken lady while you are very softly spoken and quite shy, not that that's a bad thing."

Myra smiled. "Yes, he was, but he always seemed to be able to make mother laugh. I wish I could do the same so maybe she wouldn't be so sad anymore. Sometimes I catch her as she's washing the dishes or something like that and she's just standing there, staring off into space. She always has this soft, sad smile of her face and I know she's thinking about father. But she never laughs."

Sakura swallowed the tears that were rising in her throat. "I think that your mother will learn to laugh again, but it will take some time. He's only been gone five years. She's probably still healing. But I think you could laugh for her until she starts to laugh with you. I think she'd like that."

Myra smiled brightly. It was the brightest smile Sakura had seen from the girl and it simply illuminated her face. She was stunning. "I think I can do that."

Sakura smiled but then paused and tensed. Someone was watching her. She could feel it. Her instincts hadn't alerted her to any threat, but since becoming an experienced shinobi, she had developed that sixth sense.

She looked around, trying to pinpoint the source, but it was gone and she could see nothing.

She shook her head. _It probably was nothing._

"We should go inside. Mother is probably waiting for these vegetables," Myra said.

Sakura nodded and followed the girl inside.

**A/N: It's fairly obvious who's watching Sakura, isn't it? **


	10. The Unfamiliar Familiarity

**A/N: What's this, you say? Why, it looks like another quick update and another long chapter! How did this happen? I know! It ****_must_**** have had something to do with the amount of reviews I received for the last chapter! Go figure!**

**But yeah, seriously guys. You review, I write. You don't review, I still write…just not as quickly (you fan my flame haha).**

**BEWARE! More Sasu/Saku action ahead! Not much storyline development, but who cares about that crap anyway?**

**The Unfamiliar Familiarity**

_You try to get under my skin_

_And poison me from within_

_But when the cities fall _

_They build them back much taller than they were before_

**_- "The Real Version of You", _****Chasing Victory**

Sasuke tried to ignore the unfamiliar ache in his chest that was caused by the sight that affronted his dark eyes. He did not like this feeling. It was weakness. He could not tolerate weakness.

And yet the ache remained.

It was strange that he should be so affected by such a trivial scene. Perhaps that is why he was affected by it. There was no room for such trivial things in his life.

Perhaps it was the familiarity of the situation. His mind was brought back just over five years ago, acting of its own accord.

So maybe it wasn't so much the scene before his eyes that caused this unwelcome feeling, but the memories it provoked. Unwanted memories, ones he thought he'd never had. Ones he thought he'd left behind in Konoha.

But this place and these people were bringing them back. Now they were weighed around his neck like heavy chains, threatening to pull him down further and further into the past to which he didn't want to return.

"Is something wrong with your food, Sasuke?" Sakura asked innocently.

That unnamed feeling in his chest spiked at her words. What a _Sakura_ comment. She had always been concerned for his wellbeing even though she never had to be - it wasn't _her_ responsibility.

He realized that he hadn't been eating the food in front of him. No, he'd been listlessly watching the easy banter that transpired between the table's occupants and trying to figure out why it affected him like it did.

"It's fine," he said. It was fine but unless that food could fill the hollow space in this chest, he wasn't interested in eating it.

Sakura blinked at him in confusion as the rest of the table's occupants continued with their incessant chatter.

"Okay, but you should really eat something. Who knows when we'll get another home-cooked meal like this?"

Sasuke stopped a rueful smile from forming on his expressionless lips. Sakura had always been the one to tie the gap between Team Seven. She had always pulled him in; always made sure he was included even if he didn't want to be. She was the one thing that kept him from distancing himself like he always wanted to.

He wanted to hate her for it, but his attempt was ridiculously half-hearted.

"Fine," he said before shoving some food into his mouth and forcing himself to chew. He could not even taste it.

Sakura smiled at him. But it didn't reach her eyes…not like the smile she'd given Myra earlier that evening. This smile now was a mere ghost of the ones he'd once known, a mere apparition of the ones she'd once bestowed on him freely. Not anymore.

He didn't need them anyway.

000

"Did you need any help washing up, Tura?" Sakura offered. Washing dishes wasn't exactly her favourite pastime but she knew she'd feel guilty if she didn't at least offer.

Tura waved her away, still chuckling over something stupid Naruto had said over dinner. After what Myra had told her concerning Tura's happiness, Sakura was glad Naruto had been able to make her laugh. At least he was good for something, even if that was just entertainment.

"Sakura?"

Sakura turned around at the soft-spoken voice. It was Myra. She hadn't really been a part of the conversation at the table, but she had followed along and laughed quietly. Sakura hadn't missed the way she kept looking at her Mother whenever she laughed with a touch of awe. Then she smiled brightly, just like she had earlier.

At some points of the conversation Tura had been laughing to the point of tears. Sakura couldn't blame her. She and Naruto had been telling her and Myra about some of the missions they had been on together and how Naruto (well, she claimed it was Naruto anyway) had stuffed them up in the worst possible ways, yet it always managed to turn out okay. He really had done some stupid things over the years…and so had she. But he wouldn't be Naruto if he hadn't stuffed up half of his missions in the most ridiculous ways.

As she looked at Tura now, she couldn't help but be amazed at how Naruto had once again managed to affect someone's life. She had no idea how he did it. He probably didn't have any idea either. Hell, he probably didn't even know he did it. He was just himself. He was just Uzumaki Naruto, the biggest goofball that ever lived. Never had she felt so privileged to have a person like him as her best friend.

"Yes?"

Myra smiled. "Um…I thought you may want a shower."

Sakura felt so relieved she almost sunk to the floor. A shower, a _hot_ shower. She always did get so sick of washing herself in lakes and rivers and any water source she could get her hands on.

"I would _love_ a shower!"

000

Naruto walked through the relatively small house searching for Sasuke. He looked back and forth, up and down (you know, in case he was hiding on the ceiling or something) and yet there was no sign of the Uchiha.

Naruto growled. _Figures. That bastard always makes it hard for anyone to find him. _

He walked into the kitchen to find Tura washing the dishes. Maybe she would know where Sasuke was. She _had_ been a spy after all. Wasn't that what she was supposed to do? Follow people and stuff?

"Oi, lady, where's Sasuke?"

It was always best to get right to the point. Sakura always said his negotiating skills were 'deplorable' (her word, not his), but he thought they were _way_ better than hers. Coz seriously, what was with all that other crap she waded through? All the "Hi, how are you?" and "My name's Sakura, what's your name" crap. Who needed to do that? It was just a big waste of time he thought. But he just let Sakura go ahead and waste time because he didn't want to hurt her. Girls were just so fragile when it came to stuff like that. He had to make her feel important, coz if he didn't she'd probably end up taking out all that inner hurt on _him_…and _that_ hurt!

"Maybe I'll tell you if you use some manners," Tura replied.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Geez, what was it with chicks and manners? Who needed them anyway? He wouldn't need them when he was Hokage coz everyone would have no choice but to listen to what he said, so why would he need them now?

But still, he didn't want to hurt the poor lady so maybe he'd just indulge her. He could be very charming when he wanted to be.

"Okay. Um…Tura, ma'am, could you please tell me where Sasuke is?" There, how was that for manners! And Sakura said he had about as much manners as a lump of mould!

"Better. And I don't know where he is."

Naruto groaned loudly. He'd wasted all that time for nothing! Women! They were all the same!

"Well,_ that_ was helpful," he grumbled. Now what?

"Maybe you should look outside. That's where I found him before," she offered as she dried her hands on a tea-towel.

"Yeah, yeah…" he muttered under his breath as he walked out the kitchen door.

He had to admit that though this place was kind of a hole it could sort of look nice sometimes. It was dusk and what was left of the sun cast an eerie glow over the hills of green grass and trees. Just how much land did this lady own anyway?

He squinted and looked around for any signs of Sasuke. That bastard was long overdue for a good beating. Before there just hadn't been any time because they had to do a lot of walking and look for people and stuff, but now they were here and doing practically nothing…

Yep, it was time for some Ass-Whooping. Some Sasuke Ass-Whooping - his favourite kind.

First, he had to beat the bastard for leaving them five years ago. Then he had to beat the bastard for making Sakura cry. Then he had to beat the bastard for being such a bastard. Then he had to beat the bastard for…well, just coz he really wanted to beat him. Then he had to beat the bastard because he was really bored and had to let off some steam.

And he couldn't deny the intense feeling of anticipation that welled up in his chest at the thought of sparring with Sasuke after so many years. Sasuke was powerful - he would have to be after training with Orochimaru for so long. And like Tura had said, you could almost _feel_ it radiating off him. It was tantalizing…and Naruto couldn't wait for a taste.

Then he would show the bastard just how powerful he had gotten too. Because Sasuke always underestimated him he would be in for one big surprise!

000

Showers were good for so many things.

Firstly, they washed away all the dirt and grime and sweat collected over the day (or days).

Sakura rarely went on missions longer than a week these days. Sure, she was a highly regarded medic and her expertise on and off the battlefield was usually requested, but Tsunade had given her the freedom to choose the missions she wanted. She had given Sakura this freedom because she trusted her and knew that she preferred to be in the hospital. It wasn't that she preferred hospital work over missions that took her outside of Konoha, it was just that there were many shinobi who could handle the missions that took them outside of Konoha but there weren't nearly as many medic nin as skilled as herself who could work in the hospital. It wasn't vanity, just fact; therefore she only took long missions if they specifically required a skilled medic nin.

But when she _did_ choose to go on these outside missions she tried to maintain some semblance of cleanliness the entire time. Sure, sometimes it was impossible. Sometimes shit happened and she didn't get a chance to wash. However, if the mission went smoothly (which it normally did when she was on the team) there was usually time to stop off at the occasional village and visit the baths or find a lake or river to wash in. She may be a tough shinobi, but she was also a female - a female who didn't like smelling bad.

Secondly, showers gave her time to think.

She was usually too busy to just retreat to her own thoughts. When she was back in Konoha she was either working extra-long, extra-hard shifts at the hospital or catching up with friends, both of which left her dead to the world by the end of the day. The hospital was a hectic place, especially for her. If Tsunade wasn't around everyone came to her for advice or help or suggestions or whatever else. She was just swamped from start to finish.

When she was catching up with friends she was equally swamped. She wasn't sure, but she thought that she might unknowingly be walking around with a sign on her head saying 'Come to me for advice!' because that's what she usually ended up doing. She didn't think she was particularly wise (she wasn't old enough to be wise); she didn't think she had some special insight into human emotions that no one else had. Maybe people just thought she was approachable. She liked to _think_ she was approachable. Maybe it was that she always listened. Sure, she loved to talk and engage in the occasional gossip (okay, a _lot_ of gossip), but she knew when to shut the hell up and listen. Maybe it was because she understood. She never put people down for their actions (unless they _really_ deserved it) or anything like that. Maybe it was because people thought she said the right things. Advising people wasn't really all that hard. The trick was not really saying anything at all. As people talked about their problems out loud their brains usually kicked into gear and they started figuring out things for themselves. It all came down to the art of nodded at the right times, sympathizing at the right times, gently admonishing at the right times, and subtlety pushing their thoughts in the right direction.

So she was always sought after, always busy. Everyone seemed to want a piece of her, which was okay. She liked helping people. It was what she _did_. She was Sakura, the girl who helped people. But sometimes…sometimes it was just nice escaping to one's own thoughts. Showers were good for that.

And lastly, showers were therapeutic. They were therapeutic in either one of two ways - physically or emotionally.

If she had come home from an extra-trying day at the hospital or an extra-long, extra-stressful mission, the first thing she did was take a shower. The hot water soothed her sore muscles and relaxed her tight shoulders. She just felt a hundred times better.

Likewise, if she had come home from that extra-trying day at the hospital or that extra-long, extra-stressful mission, the shower helped relax her mind. It helped her calm down and get her thoughts in order. It washed away all the emotional baggage as it washed away all the filth and dirt.

But one of the worst things about showers was that they could be serious safety hazards.

Usually showers were relatively safe. She just stood there, washed her body and washed her hair - nothing serious, nothing strenuous. But there were a few rare instances in which showers weren't so simple.

These instanced included a lot of unexpected things - things such as people walking in on your shower. That was always embarrassing. She was quite content with her body, but that didn't mean she wanted people seeing it completely bare. Luckily this had never happened to her before. She knew how to lock doors. But on the occasion that it would happen, she had no doubt as to how she would react. There would be lots of screaming and in her haste to cover herself up she'd fall on the floor. Showers were wet, therefore they were slippery - safety hazard.

There were also events such as certain large objects crashing through her bathroom wall. This _had_ happened to her before, but thankfully she had not been in the shower at the time. She had been in her bedroom when Chouji had barrelled through her wall. He had been inflated, of course. Apparently he had been at Ichiraku with Naruto and had tried to steal some of Naruto's ramen. Big mistake. This resulted in an all-out war, which in turn resulted in Chouji being thrown through Sakura's bathroom wall.

Thankfully, she hadn't been naked and in the shower at the time. The horrifying thought had crossed her mind. If she had been in the shower, the results would have been fairly similar to someone walking in on her, except slightly worse. In this case, not just one person would have seen her naked, a whole bunch of people would see her naked. She lived in a series of very close-knit apartments and who wouldn't look up at a large commotion? Hence, seeing her naked. At this point there would be lots of screaming and in her haste to cover up she'd fall on the floor. Showers were wet, therefore they were slippery. Safety hazard.

And then there were things like large, earth-shaking explosions - large, earth-shaking explosions extremely similar to the one that just happened. Large, earth-shaking explosions that would cause her to fall, just like what had just happened. Showers were wet, therefore they were slippery. Safety hazard.

And, _God_, her ass _really_ hurt!

_What the _hell_ was that? _

She calmly contemplated the possible causes of such an explosion as she sat naked on the bottom of the shower (that was still running), rubbing her sore ass. To any spectators she would have looked absolutely ludicrous…but she was really too pissed to care.

Not only had this explosion ruined her cleansing, calm, therapeutic shower, it had also caused her to fall over on her ass like an idiot, hitting her head in the process.

It was probably Naruto.

And she was going to kick his ass just like she had when he'd thrown Chouji through her bathroom wall. And it was going to _hurt_.

She promptly stood up, turned the shower off and put her clothes on, not caring that her clothes were now clinging wetly to her body. She was just too damn pissed off to care.

She marched outside to assess the situation. Sure enough, there was Naruto… and there was Sasuke. Naruto was panting heavily and numerous cuts and gashes adorned his body. Sasuke was trying to look like he wasn't breathing hard, but she could tell he was tired. He didn't have as many cuts or gashes, but he was still injured.

_So they were sparring._

Actually, judging by the state of the land surrounding them, it was more likely that they had been trying to kill each other.

_Stupid idiots!_

Tura and Myra were standing by the house, each with worried looks on their faces. Fortunately, they looked unharmed.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked, fully away of how Naruto and Sasuke got carried away when they fought each other. She wouldn't be at all surprised if they accidentally hurt someone.

Tura looked at her, eyes wide. She no longer looked in control like she always did. "Yes. They just started and…we tried to stop them – vocally, of course - but it didn't work."

Big surprise there.

"I didn't think it was a good idea to try and stop them physically," She continued.

Sakura gritted her teeth in annoyance. Naruto and Sasuke were _so_ in for it! "I'm _really_ sorry about this. As you can tell, they get a little carried away. It was wise not to attempt to stop them physically. That's _my_ job."

"Stop this right now!" she yelled as she marched towards their locations, but it was no good. They were in a little world of their own, as always when they fought.

Sakura moaned. _I'm going to have to do this physically, aren't I? _This was just great because that meant she'd probably get all dirty again. Yep, they were _definitely_ in for it.

Just as she had taken a step forward, Sasuke and Naruto charged at each other.

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

Sakura groaned even louder. Well, wasn't this familiar? But this time there was no Kakashi to stop them, no Kakashi to pull her out of the way.

But that was okay. This time she didn't need him.

000

Sasuke glared at Naruto like he'd never glared at anyone or anything before. This was not good - Naruto was much stronger than he had anticipated. He suspected that, judging by his rapid growth in his genin days, Naruto would be strong, but _this_…this was a whole new level for the Jinchuriki.

And Naruto was _pissed_. Sasuke could tell that he was fighting with his full strength, which was a hell of a lot of strength, yet Naruto still had not been able to land a decent blow on him. Sasuke could see through most of Naruto's attacks with his Sharingan and the ones he couldn't see he could dodge easily enough as his speed was superior.

But it was still a hard battle nonetheless. Naruto's powerful attacks came in such fast progression that he hardly had time to evade, much less retaliate. He had no time to form jutsu of his own and it was frustrating. So he had reverted to hand to hand combat, which hadn't been much easier. Though he was definitely faster and more skilled, Naruto was stronger. After the last blow Naruto had landed on his ribs, Sasuke had been forced to retreat for a moment and plan his next move. Naruto was trying to catch his breath, though only barely. The boy's stamina was unnatural, probably thanks in no small way to the Kyubi that resided within him.

But it was going to end soon - he could feel it, he could taste it. His blood was rushing through his head, he could hear his pulse pounding; his hands were trembling in anticipation. He felt more alive than he had in years.

In the back of his mind he heard a voice screaming for them to stop, but he paid it no heed and neither did Naruto. This was _their_ battle, _their_ world. This was the time to determine who was the strongest once and for all. And Sasuke was determined it would be him.

His lips curled as he saw what attack Naruto was planning to execute - the Rasengan. He'd never forget that attack, never forget the way it had first shocked him. Back when they had fought a similar battle, the Rasengan had been the stronger of the two. But Sasuke had become stronger; his Chidori had become stronger, so now he was interested to see which the better attack was.

"Chidori!" he yelled as he charged, feeling the familiar energy course through his flesh, hearing the familiar chirping drown out any other noise.

"Rasengan!"

This was it. It was just him and his Chidori, Naruto and his Rasengan. Just them and raw power and-

"I said _STOP_!"

_What?_

It was Sakura, standing between them once again, like she had so many years before. And, like that time, he found himself utterly unable to halt is trajectory.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he got closer and closer.

_Doesn't she know she'll be killed? I can't stop now!_

A strange feeling of panic at the thought coursed through his body. He shouldn't feel this panic. He shouldn't care! It was her own stupidity that had put her in this situation.

But then…then the most unexpected thing happened.

He watched as Sakura clapped her hands together and pushed them to the ground. Such an action seemed harmless in itself, but it was what it unleashed that took him by surprise.

Before his eyes a monstrous wall of earth sprouted out of the ground, directly into his path.

_Shit, this is going to hurt._

000

Sakura watched with morbid satisfaction as Sasuke and Naruto slammed into the wall she created with a resounded _CRACK_!

_That's what they get for ruining my shower and thinking that they can leave_ me_ out of their battle. _

If they were going to have any near-death sparring matches, she wasn't going to stand on the sidelines and watch with a worried face like she used to. No, she was going to be right in there smashing holes in the ground. She was just as much a part of this team as they were. Sure, she wasn't an Uchiha who had had all his clan massacred by his brother. Sure, she wasn't a Jinchuriki with the greatest (and hottest) Hokage to date as their father. But she was damn well strong enough to make up for that.

She heard a groan and watched apathetically as Naruto rubbed his head and blinked a couple of times.

"What was that for, Sakura?" he groaned again.

Sakura glared. "You _know_ what that was for."

Naruto stood up shakily, bracing himself on the ruins of the dirt wall. "No, I don't!"

At this point Sasuke had started to wake up, though with much less noise. He shook his head a couple of time before standing up without the help of the wall.

Then he glared. "_What_ was that for?"

Sakura glared back. "_That_ was for ruining my shower, ruining Tura's property, ruining my day, and trying to kill each other and leaving me out!"

Sasuke looked at her blankly. "So you made us _collide_ into a wall?"

Sakura sniffed in indignation. "No, _you_ made _yourselves_ collide into a wall. I simply put it there."

Sasuke continued to stare at her blankly. "You _put_ the wall there."

Sakura was quite impressed. He was showing more emotions in two minutes than he had in two days. Who knew he had it in him?

"_Yes_, I _put_ the wall there. Is that really so hard to believe?"

"Yes." Now he was staring at her with a strange expression on his face.

**Oh, this is just great! When he finally saw your amazing strength he was supposed to fall at your feet and tell you how sorry he was that he ever thought you were weak, not stare at you like you're some kind of freak!**

_I did _not_ want him to fall at my feet and he is _not_ staring at me like I'm a freak!_

**Yeah, sure he's not.**

Okay, maybe he was.

_Damn it._

Her thoughts were interrupted by another groan that escaped Naruto. "That hurt, Sakura! Are you going to heal me now?"

Sakura crossed her arms and tilted her head in contemplation. "Hm…I'll think about it when I have my shower - my second shower."

That said, she turned on her heel and stormed off in a magnificent flurry of feminine rage.

000

_Ow._

That had felt like…well…that had felt like slamming into a wall at top speed. And it _hurt_.

He felt like his limbs were made of lead and his head stuffed with cotton. Then there was the sharp pain that throbbed with the beat of his pulse…over and over and over.

_Again, ow._

But pain was not an alien concept to Sasuke. He was used to pain. He could tolerate pain. He expected pain.

What he had not expected was _that_ - whatever _that_ was. He had not expected a wall of dirt to randomly shoot up from the ground. And he had not expected Sakura to be the cause of said wall,

She was _strong_.

Yes, he had assumed she'd gotten stronger over the years. She would have to be strong if she had managed to land in the _Digest_, but he'd thought that description of her being able to create craters and new tectonic formations with her fists was pure exaggeration.

Turns out it wasn't.

She was _strong_.

And fearless. She'd have to be if she put herself between those two attacks.

He looked up at the wall and saw the two gaping holes their attacks had left. It was a very thick, very hard wall. Yep, they were powerful attacks alright. And she had calmly put herself in the middle of them.

She was _strong_.

And…and she was wet.

_Wait, what? _

How had his pounding brain managed to pick up _that_ detail without him knowing? But as he watched her retreating back he noticed that yes, she was wet.

Well, she had said that they'd ruined her shower. That explained the wetness.

And the wetness explained the way her clothes clung to her, exposing every little curve, every little…

_Whoa, whoa! Stop!_

Damn hormones.

000

"How did you do that?"

Sakura smiled at the familiar question. At lot of people asked that when they saw a display of her unnatural strength.

Sakura had been in a much better mood after she had finished her second shower and had offered to heal Naruto. But Naruto, being Naruto, had laughed and said he didn't need it then proceeded to have his own shower. It didn't surprise her that he had healed so quickly.

_Damn Kyubi._

Sakura continued raking through her damp hair with her fingers as she answered Myra. "Well, it's a simple technique, but only very few can execute it."

"Why's that?"

Sakura sat down next to the blazing fire. It got cold at night around these parts. "Because one needs to have perfect chakra control in order to do it."

Myra nodded. "And how _do_ you do it?" she urged.

Sakura shrugged. "Like I said, it's a simple concept. I gather the right amount of chakra into my hands and press them on the ground. Usually when I do this without being specific about it the chakra spreads out in all directions and causes a crater or just causes the ground to explode, but I didn't want to do that this time since Sasuke and Naruto were in the air. So instead of releasing it in all different directions, I pushed it way, way beneath the surface in a single direction and once I had gone deep enough I pushed the chakra back up, taking the ground with it, therefore creating the wall. Simple concept, _extremely_ hard to execute."

Myra's eyes widened. "That is _so cool_! I wish I could do that!"

Sakura smiled at her. "Well, it took me a _long_ time to master and a _lot_ of hard work. But yeah, it is pretty cool, I suppose."

Myra giggled and was about to say something when a battered-looking Uchiha Sasuke walked into the room.

They both looked up at him and Sakura was strangely nervous. She opened her mouth to speak but her throat went dry.

**Just spit it out. Just say it, come on! Just say it!**

_Okay, okay! Just give me a break!_

"Um…Sasuke?"

Her only response was a glare.

"Did…did you want me to heal those?" she asked quietly, referring to his cuts and swelling with a broad wave of her hand.

Sasuke just blankly stared at her for what seemed like hours in Sakura's mind and she swore she wasn't breathing the entire time. The atmosphere was strangely intense and she could not help but wonder why, and wonder if she was just imagining it all. It was almost like this was not just about her healing him, but much more. Was he going to accept her as an equal individual or was he doing to reject her and treat her like he always did, like she didn't matter?

Or maybe she was just reading into it too much. Wouldn't be the first time.

Then finally he spoke. "Fine."

Sakura smiled warmly as relief flooded her chest. "Okay, just, ah…just sit down here." She motioned to the other chair in front of the fire. It was only then that she noticed that Myra was still there…staring at Sasuke.

For some inexplicable reason Sakura didn't want Myra there, like this was personal or something though she knew Sasuke most definitely didn't see it that way. She was trying to think of ways to subtlety get rid of her when Tura called from the kitchen.

"Myra, honey, can you please come and help me in the kitchen!"

Sakura breathed a silently sigh of relief. Saved.

"But, Mama, I want to watch Sakura heal Sasuke!" Myra protested.

"_Now_, Myra."

Man, even Sakura was scared by that tone!

Myra groaned and smiled apologetically at Sakura. "Maybe next time, huh?"

Sakura smiled back. "Yeah."

Myra stood up with a sigh and dragged her feet into the kitchen. "What now, Mama?" Sakura heard her complain faintly.

She could not help the amused smile that made its way onto her face, but that smile immediately disappeared as soon as she laid eyes on Sasuke once again.

He was so serious…

**And so handsome…**

_Not helping!_

She swallowed deeply, as if she could swallow back her nervousness along with her saliva. "Um…yeah…just, uh, sit here." She motioned to the other chair by the fire once again.

Sasuke wordlessly sat, watching her warily the whole time. What, did he think she was going to amputate a finger or something?

Well, she might if he kept making her this nervous.

_Okay, breathe. Just breathe. I can do this! It's just Sasuke!_

Swallow.

_Holy crap, it's Sasuke!_

**Knock it off and heal the man!**

_Yeah, okay…okay. I just…yeah._

"So are you going to heal me or what?"

_Wow, that's probably the most I've heard him say at one time in the last six hours! Amazing!_

Sakura pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and slipped on her Hospital Face. This, like her Hospital Voice, was the professional side of her character. God only knew she needed to be professional when she did this otherwise she probably _couldn't_ do it!

"Okay, take off your shirt," she said in the calmest voice possible. She never thought she'd ever be saying something like _that_ to Sasuke.

And apparently neither did he.

"What?"

Sakura feigned impatience to cover her nervousness. "You have injuries under your shirt and I can't exactly heal through clothes so take it off. It's not that hard!"

_Okay, Hospital Voice. Remember Hospital Voice._

With a scowl Sasuke pulled his white shirt over his head and dropped it to the side of the chair.

Sakura forgot to breathe.

_O-kay! One extremely good looking guy is sitting right in front of me! _

**Understatement of the year!**

_What to do? What to do?_

**Stare to your perverted little mind's content! This is a Grade-A opportunity! **

_Shut up, shut up! I have to heal him - that's what I have to do!_

**Oh yes, and put your hands all over that fine muscle!**

Sounded good to her. She just had to remember her Hospital Face. And more importantly, she had to remember how to breathe.

**In, out. In, out.**

_Oh, that's right!_

"Okay, I'm going to start with your worst injuries, but from what I can see, you've escaped fairly well. Naruto was much worse."

This got a smirk from Sasuke. That was the only way she knew he was even listening.

She got out of her chair and kneeled next to his. "Where does it hurt the most?"

"Left arm, upper back, chest," he replied curtly, staring straight ahead.

Sakura nodded and pulled her chair over towards his. This would be a whole lot more comfortable if she was sitting down because her knees were feeling suspiciously weak.

"I'll start with your left arm," she said before placing her hands over the large cut on his left bicep.

The cut itself was not all that big, but it was quite deep, like Naruto had shoved and kunai in there and cut down.

But neither that nor her accumulating chakra was what caused a wave of fire to wash over her body. It was her skin on his.

_Stay professional. Breathe. Stay professional. Breathe._

It was like a mantra in her head, continually repeating itself over and over until that was all she focused on.

As soon as she had finished there she stood up and moved around to his back. It was a mess. There were cuts crisscrossing all over the place and the scars from previous battles didn't make it any better. It was a shame to see what would otherwise be a spectacular back covered in blemishes.

_Well, I shall just have to fix that, shan't I?_

She knew it was a waste of chakra, but she had plenty to spare and it would all come back overnight anyway, so why not? It was worth it.

The cuts and bruises were all shallow, but there were a lot of them. She could imagine how Naruto had given these to Sasuke. It was called the senpuu-jutsu, an attack Naruto had made up himself in which he used his doppelgangers and a wind jutsu. Instead of using the wind jutsu to attack his opponent, he used it to create a whirlwind of sorts around his opponent with the opponent in the centre, unaffected by the wind. He and his doppelgangers then travelled through that whirlwind around and around, cutting the opponent in the centre as he did so. And it was done with such speed that only someone with greater speed could sense his movements and escape the attack.

Sasuke had fared better against this attack than anyone else who had been caught it in. He had only received fairly shallow cuts and bruises. Most of Naruto's victims were literally cut to shreds.

Sakura had to resist the urge to rub her hands down Sasuke's back when she had made it smooth. It just looked so…so…_good_!

_Stay professional. Breathe. Must resist temptation._

Now something else was added to her mantra.

"Sasuke?"

No answer. Figures.

"I need you to lean back on the chair and relax your arms by your side so I have clear access to your chest, okay?"

Sasuke wordlessly acquiesced to her request. Sakura sat down in her chair once more and gently placed her hands on Sasuke's chest, almost gasping when the toned muscles rippled under her touch.

_Stay professional. Breathe. Must resist temptation. Stay professional. Breathe. Must resist temptation._

If only it were that easy.

This was the closest she could remember being to Sasuke for a long, long time. Sure, he had pushed her up against a wall at Goshinbu's, but that was different. He was just testing her then, attacking even. She hadn't been able to touch him. Now…now she was healing him, with her hands on his bare chest, his breathe tickling the top of her hair, her breathe hitting his throat. It was so…intimate. She never remembered it being like this with Naruto…or with anyone for that matter.

She could feel the heat radiating off his body and it made her shiver. It was a good thing healing mere flesh wounds like this required barely any concentration because her mind was spiralling in every possible direction and yet zoning in on one place at the same time.

She just wanted to touch him.

_Stay professional._

She looked up at him to find his eyes on her.

_Breathe._

Suddenly inhaling seemed like a monumental task, one she wasn't sure she was capable of handling.

_Must resist temptation._

"Is…is that all you needed?"

Her voice sounded alien in her own ears. Breathless. Excited.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking as he held her captive with his eyes. All she could think about was the way he smelled, like a forest after a storm. All she could see was the way the light of the fire flickered in his onyx eyes, giving them an illusion of emotion they didn't hold. All she could hear was the sound of their breathing - hers heavy, his steady. All she could feel was the fingertips that lightly touched her cheek - _his_ fingertips.

_What is happening to me?_

"So, guys! Did you miss me?"

The spell was broken and Sakura was released from its hold with a sharp intake of breath.

The spell was broken even further when she looked up to see Naruto in nothing but a towel.

"Put some clothes on, idiot!" she yelled. She did _not_ need to see Naruto in a towel, even though it wasn't like she hadn't already, but somehow it now seemed wrong on a strange, new level.

_Just kill me now!_

Naruto pouted. "Why, I thought I looked pretty good!"

He sort of did, but that wasn't the point. "We're in a house with a fourteen-year-old girl, idiot! I doubt her mother would want her to see you like that!"

Naruto's face froze. "Aw, man! I totally forgot! I better go put some clothes on, huh?"

Sakura groaned and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. "You think?"

"Okay, I'll be right back, Sakura!"

Sakura shook her head in disbelief and turned around to where Sasuke was sitting.

But he was no long there.

000

Sasuke gulped in the icy air, as though air alone was enough to douse the burning fire in his stomach that felt strangely like desire.

_That did _not_ just happen. This can_not_ be happening. _

He didn't know what had come over him. It was like he had been under a spell, captivated as soon as he had looked into her eyes. It was pathetic.

It was just that when she had touched him and the chakra had warmed his skin…

And then there was the way her hands had been so soft, so gentle…

It didn't help that she had been sitting so close. She had been way, way too close…

It would have helped if the firelight hadn't made her look so beautiful. There was that word again - beautiful. He couldn't help it. He could feel her warm breath against his collarbone even now…and the way the light of the fire had danced across her skin had made her look so soft. He couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same way she looked and…

And then his hand had risen, his fingertips had brushed her cheek and he had looked on, a mere spectator, unable to do anything but watch. And_ feel_. And she had felt just as soft and as smooth as he had imagined and…

And this needed to stop. Now. It was one thing to think that Sakura was beautiful. That was bad enough in itself. But to _touch_ her? That was just unacceptable. And it couldn't happen again.

It_ wouldn't_ happen again.


	11. The Problem with Being Alone

**A/N: Warning: angst ahead. I don't like writing too much angst, but what can I say? Sasuke's just an angsty person! You can't avoid it! And it was entirely necessary for the character development between Sasuke and Sakura. It sets the stage for all the good stuff! I know this chapter is slightly shorter than my previous ones, but like I said, I needed to set the stage for all the good stuff ahead! Lots of Sasu/Saku action coming soon!**

**Oh, and I now have my best friend, walkingwater, editing my fic. I personally don't think I'm that great a writer and she's hell good at telling people how crap they are so I thought 'Hey, why not get her to edit my crap and make it good!' So that's what's happening. This means that it will take me slightly longer to update because she's a working girl (unlike me) and doesn't have all the time in the world (unlike me), but I'm sure if you go on her fanfic profile and threaten her, she'll work a lot faster! **

**Enjoy!**

**The Problem with Being Lonely**

_Disarm you with a smile_

_And leave you like they left me here_

_To wither in denial_

_The bitterness of one who's left alone_

**_- "Disarm", _****Smashing Pumpkins**

"So do I get my own bed?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and smacked Naruto upside the head, a regular occurrence by now. "Shut up, idiot! It's _their_ house! If anyone gets their own bed, it's them!"

Naruto pouted childishly and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, but _we're_ the shinobi!"

Sakura opened her mouth to deliver another scathing rebuttal, but Tura beat her to it.

"Well, actually, we only have two rooms with two double beds and a couch in the back room. I was thinking that Myra would come and sleep with me. Sasuke and Naruto could share the other double bed and Sakura could take the couch."

That was fine with her. She'd much prefer sleeping on a couch than sharing a bed with Naruto. Not only was he a loud sleeper, he was a touchy-feely sleeper. She didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night and find herself spooned…again. She didn't think Naruto could afford it anymore. She knew it wasn't really his fault that he liked cuddling up to people in his sleep, but kicking him the balls to push him back was a knee-jerk reaction…literally.

"No."

_What?_

"What?" Naruto yelled, glaring at Sasuke.

Sasuke pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on with his shoulders and ran one of his hands through his raven-coloured hair…an action that was far too sexy to be normal.

"I said no. I'm _not_ going to share a bed with Naruto."

Yeah, because of course if _Sasuke_ didn't want to, _Sasuke_ didn't have to.

_Not that I can blame him. Turns out he remembers Naruto's sleeping habits._

Tura raised an appraising brow. "And why is that?"

Sasuke looked at Sakura, as if appointing her worthy to speak for him.

_Well_ fine_ then._

She shrugged. "He snores like a rutting horse and will probably end up mildly sexually assaulting you sometime in the course of the night"

Naruto stood up in his chair and pointed an accusing finger at her. "_Hey!_ I do not!" She shot a pointed glare at his balls. He sat down and covered them immediately. "Well, not the snoring thing anyway."

Tura smiled in amusement. "Okay, then Naruto can take the couch and Sakura and Sasuke can take the bed. I have a feeling Sasuke would keep all his limbs to himself."

"_No!_"

To everyone's surprise, this came from Sakura.

She blushed. She just _couldn't_ share a bed with Sasuke! It was just too…too…she just _couldn't_!

Sasuke smirked. "For once, I agree wholeheartedly."

Sakura glared at him. Was the thought of sharing a bed with her really that repulsive to him? Knowing him, probably.

Tura sighed in defeat. "Then what are you going to do, short of someone sleeping on the floor?"

Sakura felt a stab of guilt pierce her chest. Here Tura was, inconveniencing herself to have them here, and they couldn't agree on something as simple as sleeping arrangements.

"It's okay, I'll share with Naruto," she shrugged. "It's not like I haven't before. And he knows what happens if I wake up with him half on me."

Naruto cringed.

Tura raised her brow again. "Are you sure? Isn't sharing a bed with a guy kind of…um…_strange_?"

If Tura was insinuating what she thought she was insinuating, even though she'd just suggested not one minute ago that Sakura should share with Sasuke, then 'strange' was the nice way of putting _'Won't you feel like having sex with him…or something of that explicit nature?'_

Well, she didn't have to worry about _that_. Naruto plus sex (or anything pertaining to the word) equalled abso-freaking-lutely not.

Sakura smiled tightly. "I'll be fine." She had her own means of defence against Naruto's natural affinity to physical contact while sleeping, none of which he wasn't already (painfully) aware of.

Tura shrugged. "Well, if you're sure…"

Hell no. "Yes, I'm sure."

And that was how she found herself being spooned by Naruto in the wee hours of the morning, but this time she just couldn't find the energy to knee him in the balls and push him off the bed.

Sure, it was vaguely disturbing, like having her brother spoon her, but it wasn't overwhelmingly so. She could put up with it just this one time.

And it wasn't like she didn't know why Naruto always did this to anyone (male or female) he slept close to, which was another reason why she couldn't find it in herself to push him off.

Naruto was lonely.

Naruto was a person who thrived on having people close to him and because he'd been denied that throughout his entire childhood, it was natural that he was an attention seeker. It had gotten better when he found a family – Team Seven. He had found someone to look up to in Kakashi (well, he sort of looked up to him anyway), he had found a sister in her (but that had kind of come in later after two years of crushing on her), and he had found a brother in Sasuke - a brother he bickered with, a brother he fought with, a brother he measured himself against, and brother he respected.

A brother who left.

A brother who broke up his family.

But _that_ event wasn't the crux of the matter - that was just a whole other twisted story. The real issue was that Naruto sought out human contact, physical or otherwise, often without realizing it. That was what, she suspected, caused him to seek out such contact as he slept, the time when dreams (or nightmares) plagued him, though he would always put on a brave face and brush it off when he awoke.

And he was probably really tired as well after all that near-death sparring and all. She wasn't nearly as tired as he must have been, but she was still tired and it was a bit hard to get to sleep when someone who was like a brother to her was spooning her.

**Just imagine that it's someone else.**

_Good idea!_

Before she could stop it, a mental picture of Uchiha Sasuke popped into her head.

_No, not him!_

She groaned aloud and squeezed her eyes shut, as if she could squeeze the image out of her head.

What was worse, it now felt so _good_.

_Damn it, Damn it! This is not what I need!_

**But it's obviously what you want.**

_Shut up, shut up!_

But it still wasn't going away. The tingling in her stomach was just growing stronger…and more pleasant.

**If it's going to help you get to sleep, maybe you should just roll with it. It's not like anyone's going to know.**

That was a good point. Who was going to know but her? Certainly not Sasuke. Maybe she'd think about how disturbing it was that she immediately thought of him later, when she wasn't so tired…or turned on.

000

The bright light burned his eyes, his neck was twisted in an awkward position and the pain in his back made him feel like an old man. But it was no worse than the forest floor. At least he was warm on the couch, even if it was too small for him.

And anything beat sharing a bed with Naruto. He had been extremely grateful that Sakura had displayed a little selflessness and offered to share the bed. She was always putting others before herself. Admirable, but then again, he'd find anything admirable if it meant he wouldn't have to share a bed with Naruto.

Of the little he could remember (or care to remember) of his Konoha life, Naruto's annoying sleeping habits stood out in his mind. It wasn't often that something could disturb him so.

Now that he thought about it, all of Team Seven had had their particular sleeping habits.

Kakashi, when he did sleep, slept like the dead. Once Naruto had even sat on him and he hadn't moved, much less woken up. And he never changed position as he slept either. He had always been on his back with his hands folded on his chest. Yet when an enemy had tried to attack them in their sleep once, Kakashi had been the one who had heard them and foiled their attempt, which indicated that he wasn't such a heavy sleeper after all. An enigmatic man, as always.

Sakura slept very still as well, but she was a light sleeper. When she slept she always ended up curling into a little ball on her side. Always. She didn't snore, but you could hear the sound of her soft breathing. And she stayed that way the whole night…until someone, namely Naruto, touched her. Then she was like hell itself. It was a good thing he wasn't afraid of hell.

And then there was Naruto, the most memorable for the worst reasons. Naruto didn't stand out in his mind because he had usually ended up on Sakura during some course of the night and therefore caused a lot of disquiet nor because he, like Sakura had said, snored like a horse (Sasuke was a heavy sleeper so that didn't bother him…much). No, Naruto was the most memorable because on one unforgettable, disturbing occasion Sasuke had woken up to find Naruto hugging him. After breaking Naruto's nose and bruising him in other choice places, he had sworn to himself that he would never sleep next to or near Naruto again, even if that meant sleeping next to someone like Sakura.

Sakura wasn't like Naruto. She didn't cuddle in her sleep. In fact, she seemed to appreciate her own space _a lot_ (or maybe that was because it was just Naruto), but at the time she had been practically in love with him so he had always avoided sleeping next to her in case he was the exception to her usual habits.

Now he wasn't so sure…but he still didn't want to risk it. And why risk it when there was a perfectly good couch available? Besides, Sakura had _offered_ to sleep with Naruto.

He would _not_ feel guilty.

And that _wasn't_ why he rolled off the couch (with as much grace as humanly possible) and walked into what was formerly the girl's room to check on her…err…them - because he was definitely _not_ feeling guilty. He just wanted to see if Naruto had ended up spooning her or not.

He had. Not surprising.

What_ was_ surprising was that she hadn't moved him and/or kicked him in the balls. In fact it looked like she was _welcoming_ the contact, even.

Something was horribly wrong with this picture. It was _Naruto_. No one in their right mind welcomed physical contact from him, especially when they were sleeping. But maybe that was just him because Sakura seemed to be enjoying it. _Enjoying_ it.

He was _not_ thinking that he wished it were him that was holding Sakura. And no, he was _not_ thinking that he should have accepted the offer to share a bed with her. That didn't explain why he was still standing there, staring at them and that didn't explain why he still couldn't move, but such trivial matters were easily forgotten. He'd work on doing that later when he wasn't so tired…or…yeah, tired.

"Did that surprise you too?"

Once again Tura's unexpected appearance almost caused him to hit the roof and swear his head off.

"What?"

Tura laughed silently as she leaned against the doorpost beside him. "Well, the impression I got yesterday was that Sakura hated sleeping next to Naruto for this very reason, but by the looks of things, maybe she was just trying to cover something."

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed imperceptibly. Maybe? No. Sakura was _not_ trying to cover anything. She was just really tired and hadn't noticed. Or maybe…no…she _must_ be a much heavier sleeper now. It had been years since he had slept near any of them (not counting the night before last, but he hadn't really noticed anything then) so it was plausible that her sleeping habits could have changed.

And no, Tura's comment did _not_ bother him. He was just…concerned. He didn't want to have to travel with the possibility that there was _something_ between them because that would just be sickening to watch and…weird. It was just…wrong somehow.

"Like I care," he said darkly before wandering back into the other room.

Tura muttered something that sounded like an unconvinced "Mmm-hmmm" but he couldn't be sure. It wasn't like he cared what that woman had to say anyway.

000

He was warm. Very warm. And comfortable. Very comfortable. Too warm. Too comfortable.

Something was wrong. After sleeping in the same bed as Sakura he should be hurting on the floor holding his balls, coz that was what always happened when he slept next to Sakura. And that happened because he always ended up touching her in some way that pissed her off.

And he was touching her. Actually, he had his arms wrapped around her and his body was tucked into hers, like the pieces of a puzzle.

He didn't know why he always ended up hugging people in his sleep. He was _asleep_, how should he know? And was it really that bad? He thought it was kinda nice…no, really nice. He just liked being able to _hold_ someone, to have someone there that he could _feel_.

But Sakura had never seemed to understand or appreciate his sentiments, which was why this was so unusual.

She must have been _really_ tired not to have noticed. But she'd wake up. It was inevitable. When you were asleep, you woke up. The question in his mind was _when_ because he needed to figure out something to do that would protect his manhood. He didn't think they'd recover the next time they encountered Sakura's knee. It was so much worse now that she had that super-scary strength.

He remembered the first time he'd woken up to see Sakura glaring at him because he'd gotten too close while they were sleeping. He'd cringed and prepared for the normal kind of pain. But he hadn't gotten the normal kind of pain (which was bad enough). At that time she'd just learned her sweet new strength jutsu and had been so used to practicing with it she had hit him with that. This time he wasn't just in pain for a couple of minutes…he hadn't been able to piss properly for days. He'd had to have a catheter and _everything_.

And that was the last time he'd ever slept next to her.

This time, though, he hadn't been able to avoid it, short of sleeping on the wood floor. He had just been hoping that it just wouldn't happen again.

But it had and it was just a matter of time until she woke up and then…

It hurt just thinking about it now.

_Okay, Naruto, how are you going to get yourself out of this one?_

Maybe he could perform some super cool jutsu so she wouldn't notice, but then again, she was pretty damn good at seeing through jutsu so that might not work.

He could try and be super sneaky and slide out of the bed without waking her. If she had been tired enough to not notice him spooning her in the first place, there was a good chance she wouldn't notice that either. If she woke up, he'd already be out of the bed (because he was so super fast) and she wouldn't know. If she hit him for waking her up, at least it wouldn't be in the balls.

_Got it! Naruto, you're a genius!_

The first arm - his left arm - was the easiest as it was loosely thrown over her waist so it wasn't too hard to move.

Then he slowly shifted his weight backwards, away from her body so he was no longer pressed up against her and rolled onto his back, which left nothing but his right arm still in the danger zone. The cool air brushed over his bare torso that was now suddenly exposed and he shivered before he could stop himself.

Sakura stirred.

He held his breath.

She yawned once. Twice.

Naruto swallowed deeply, seeing his life flash before his eyes.

She stretched out like a cat waking up from its afternoon nap.

Naruto shut his eyes and prayed to whatever god he could think of in the space of two seconds.

And then the most unexpected thing of all happened.

She rolled onto her back, looked up at him…and smiled.

_This is a dream, isn't it? Any second now she's really going to wake up and I won't be able to piss for a week._

"Good morning, Naruto!" Her smile was still blindingly bright.

This had to be a dream, yet he could smell her scent - peaches and cream - and he could feel her warmth against the arm that was still under her. And then was Sakura's smile. He didn't think that even his dreams could do that smile justice. This was his Sakura.

And his balls were still intact.

He gaped. She laughed.

"What's that face for, Naruto?"

He continued gaping. It was the first time he could ever remember being this speechless in the morning. And he couldn't remember Sakura ever being this cheerful in the morning. She was always the grumpy one, especially if he'd been touching her. It was…unnatural and a little scary. He was waiting for the usual Sakura to return any moment.

But no, she just got out of the bed and looked down at him with an amused expression on his face. "Well, are you going to get up or what? I think I can smell breakfast!"

Naruto shut his mouth and blinked up at her, fairly certain that she was _not_ going to castrate him.

_Phew! Saved!_

And nothing woke him up like breakfast!

000

Sakura giggled as she looked at Naruto's dazed expression. He obviously hadn't expected to wake up without experiencing pain. Even now as he was scoffing down unhealthy quantities of food he still looked like he was the most fortunate guy in the world. Well, he sort of was.

He was still shirtless, much to Myra's embarrassment. Sakura suspected that Myra had lead an extremely sheltered life in this tiny village and had not really been exposed to members of the opposite sex that much, especially not members of the opposite sex sitting in her kitchen shirtless. And as an elite shinobi, Naruto _did_ have a very fit body.

Sakura only wished Sasuke shared Naruto's disposition on shirts – which was that they were not needed while sleeping indoors or in the morning. Now _that_ would have been a sight to wake up to! Judging by what she had seen (and felt) last night, it was a grand sight indeed!

But it was probably a good thing he'd decided to keep his shirt on. Poor Myra would have probably had a heart attack and Sakura was distracted enough as it was. His face was certainly distracting enough by itself, but it wasn't just that. It was also the dream she'd had last night.

She had dreamed that they had been dancing. That was weird enough in and of itself, but she hadn't been able to see his face at all. All she could feel were their bodies moving in unison to the slow beat and his arms around her. She could understand where the feelings of his arms around her had come from. Naruto had been spooning her after all. But the dancing?

And then it had started raining. She had laughed and he had scowled. She couldn't see it, but she just knew he was. He didn't like the rain. She knew that too. But she had laughed and danced in the rain by herself, twirling and twirling around, letting the cold drops fall on her. She had continued until she was soaked through. At that point Sasuke had laughed, a deep laugh, a real laugh. It wasn't one of those throaty, fake ones that people did when something wasn't really funny and they were just pretending it was. It wasn't a chuckle or humourless. It was a laugh that bubbled from the stomach and kept rising to the point you couldn't hold it in.

Then, as he was still laughing, he had walked up to her, stilled her movements with his strong but gentle hands and wrapped his arms around her once again, dancing in the rain with her even though he hated it, lending his body heat to her.

It was safe to say it had been the best damn dream she'd ever had, which was why she had woken up with a smile on her face. She had considered hurting Naruto just to keep up appearances, but decided it wasn't worth it in the end. Besides, it was funny to see his incredulous expression.

She hadn't yet thought about the fact that it had been about Sasuke, who she was _not_ in love with anymore. And she wasn't planning on thinking about it anytime soon because she knew all that introspection wouldn't amount to much good. So she just wouldn't.

And she wouldn't stare at him. Nope, she'd just tear her eyes away from him right now.

He was grumpy enough as it was. He had never been a morning person, much like herself. He hadn't spoken a word all morning and had hardly seemed to register the world around him. He was always so serious. Back in their genin days, Naruto had had a theory that Sasuke would looked constipated if he ever tried to laugh. At the time Sakura had smacked him upside the head because she had been hopelessly in love with Sasuke then and the thought of a constipated Sasuke wasn't exactly the most appealing of mental pictures.

But now the thought made her laugh. Out loud.

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked with his mouth half-stuffed full of food.

_Crap!_ "What did I tell you about talking with your mouth full, Naruto?" There, topic safely avoided. Gosh, she was smart sometimes!

But she had forgotten how persistent Naruto could be. He swallowed his food and asked again. "What's so funny?"

She cast a surreptitious glance and Sasuke and chuckled nervously. "Oh, nothing really!"

Naruto grinned mischievously. "It's about the bastard, isn't it?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "He does have a name, Naruto." But he was sort of a bastard…

Naruto rolled his eyes back. "Yeah, but it _was_ about him, wasn't it?"

The thought popped back in her head and she giggled. "Yeah, it was."

Naruto leaned forward in his chair. "So spill!"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about me like I'm not here," Sasuke spoke up with a blank voice.

Naruto rolled his eyes at him. "Maybe we wouldn't if you actually made a sound. It's kinda hard to forget you're there sometimes. But don't you care that Sakura was laughing at you?"

Sakura felt rather than saw Sasuke speculative gaze turn to her.

_Oh crap, oh crap! _

"No."

Figures. Stupid bastard.

"Whatever," Naruto muttered as he turned his attention back to her. "Come on, Sakura! Tell me already!"

Sakura sighed in defeat. Knowing Naruto, he'd never give up. And Sasuke _did_ say he didn't care so…

"Well, I don't know if you remember, Naruto, but back when we were genin we were having this conversation about Sasuke…"

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "I dunno, we had a lot of those kind of conversations. Which one are you talking about?"

Sakura sighed in annoyance. "Maybe if you shut up for two seconds I'd have a chance to tell you!" She inhaled deeply before continuing, "Anyway, you asked me if I'd ever seen Sasuke laugh. I said no then I asked you if you had. You said-" Sakura broke off into laughter. "You said…"

Then suddenly Naruto's eyes widened in realization and he laughed along with her. "I totally remember that! I can't believe _you_ remember that!" he managed to get out before almost falling off the table from laughing so hard.

Now that Sakura had someone to share the inside joke with she laughed even harder. It wasn't long before she was wiping tears from her eyes. "That was so funny! That mental image, oh my god…"

Naruto pouted, but was still laughing so it just looked pathetic, which caused Sakura to laugh even harder. "Yeah, you didn't think it was so funny at the time!"

Sakura replied in between laughs. "Yeah…but that…was then. This is…now."

Naruto wiped tears from his eyes as he regained his breath. "Well, I sure thought it was funny at the time."

"Okay,_ what_ are you two talking about?"

Sakura looked up to see a very confused Tura and a very confused Myra. Sasuke's expression was blank as always, but she tried not to look at him because then she'd just start laughing again.

Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing we should say out loud."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "No, please, continue." His voice was ice.

_Shit, he's angry!_

Normally his tone would have intimidated her, but she just couldn't get that constipated-Sasuke mental picture out of her head. "Um…are you really sure you want us to?" she replied, trying to keep the smile off her face.

But it seemed Naruto didn't have the same inhibitions that she did.

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you! When Sakura asked if I'd ever seen Sasuke laugh, I said 'No, but I think he'd looked constipated if he ever did.' And then she hit me on the head."

Tura and Myra looked on blankly for a moment and then they both turned to Sasuke. Slowly a hint of a smile appeared on their lips. Then that hint of a smile grew into a full-fledged smile. Then that full-fledged smile turned into light laughter. Then that light laughter turned into fully-fledged hilarity and they were soon joining Naruto's attempts to remain upright.

With a scrape of a chair on the hardwood floor, Sasuke stood up and walked outside.

Guilt stabbed at Sakura's chest as the table went quiet. After a few seconds, the guilt was washing over her in waves. They shouldn't have made fun of him. She shouldn't have made fun of him. How could she have been so inconsiderate?

She stood up. "I'll…I'll go talk to him."

She wasn't sure if that would make that better, but she could try.

000

Sasuke calmly walked outside, trying extremely hard not to slam the door behind him. He was not a child.

But he was angry.

It wasn't the constipated comment. He couldn't care less about what they thought of him. Sure, it was a blow to his pride, but nothing he couldn't handle.

It was _them_. Naruto and Sakura and, to an extent, Tura and the girl whose name he couldn't be bothered remembering.

But Naruto and Sakura were the worst. It was the way they were with each other. They were so…comfortable in each other's presence, like the other was just an extension of their life, a part of them. Like family.

It had started with they way he had found them sleeping. He too had been under the impression that Sakura hated it when Naruto cuddled up to her in his sleep, but she had seemed comfortable enough this morning. It had seemed almost natural.

And then there was the way they had shared that joke across the table. It was how they could revert to happy childhood memories and immediately know what the other was thinking. It was the way Sakura reprimanded Naruto like he was a child, because she cared. It was they way they argued without meaning anything they said. It was the way she smiled at Naruto so brightly - one of her real smiles that Sasuke didn't get anymore.

And then it was they fit into Tura's family like they had been preparing for them their whole lives. It was just so natural for them. It was the way Tura just ushered them in like they belonged.

And then there he sat, always on the outside. At what was worse was that he knew…he _knew_ that he could be included. They had always tried. Naruto had always tried. Sakura had always tried. But he just pushed them away and always held them at arm's length.

And he knew it was because as much as the loneliness stabbed at his chest, he _couldn't_ let them in.

"Sasuke!"

Great. Sakura. Just who he had been trying to get away from. Out of Naruto and Sakura, Sakura was the hardest to ignore. He could fight with Naruto to distract him from his stupid ideals of being a team and bonds and all that other nonsense, but he had no real defence against Sakura, nothing but harsh words with which to cut her down again and again. And even that had never really stopped her. In the end he'd had to knock her out cold to keep her away.

And it seemed that hadn't really worked either, not permanently. She'd caught up to him eventually.

So he kept walking, hoping that for once she just leave him alone because he didn't _want_ to be alone. It was so much easier to ignore that feeling when he was alone, when he had no choice but to be alone. But now that they were here, now that she was here…

"Sasuke!" she grabbed hold of his wrist.

He stopped, but didn't look at her. He didn't want to see the expression on her face. He'd only lose his resolve to be as harsh as possible if he did. That was why he'd gone behind her to knock her out all those years ago. He knew he wouldn't have been able to go through with it if he'd seen her impossibly green eyes widen in confusion and never-failing trust. He wouldn't have been able to look at the wet trails of tears down her usually rosy cheeks. He wouldn't have been able to stand the sight of even more tears yet to be shed in those eyes.

He wouldn't have been able to stand the look of betrayal that would definitely have been on her face…because he knew too well what betrayal felt like, what it felt like to be betrayed. But unlike him, she just bounced back like it never really mattered.

"What?" he said as scathing as possible, hoping it would deter her. He doubted it would work. It never did with her, but it was worth a shot.

"I…I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I should never have brought it up."

He clenched his jaw and risked looking at her, not being able to stand the guilt that laced her words and hating himself for it.

"I don't care," he sneered, giving her the impression that he actually did, giving her the impression that what they thought of him really had power over him. It never had. But this guilt, this unwarranted guilt of hers that he knew should belong on his own shoulders always did. But he couldn't let her know that.

Sakura inhaled deeply and looked up at him with unshed tears in those too-big green eyes of hers. Something in his chest clenched because he knew those unshed tears were for him. He didn't deserve them. He'd never deserved them.

"I mean it, Sasuke. I'm really sorry."

He clenched his jaw harder to the point where it hurt. Desperate to look at something other than innocent face, he looked at the hand that still grasped his wrist.

"Why are you still touching me?" he bit out, putting every bit of anger he felt at himself into the words.

That was the problem with Sakura. Her selflessness and innocence brought out all the anger he felt at himself because she made him so aware of everything that he could ignore so easily at any other time. And she didn't even realize that because she was the cause of this self-anger, it was so easy to place all that anger on her instead.

And what was worse…she just took it, blaming her own imperfections the entire time.

Didn't she know she was more perfect than he could ever hope to be?

She took her hand from him like she'd been burned and clasped them behind her back. His wrist tingled where her hand had been and that made him even angrier.

"Why are you still here?" The sooner she left, the sooner he would stop hating himself so much.

She swallowed deeply and licked her lips. "I want to know if you forgive me."

He chuckled darkly. Only Sakura would care about something as worthless as that. What was forgiveness good for anyway? It was just a way for people who had messed up to get out of it. And if you forgave one person, didn't you have to forgive them all? People said 'Forgive and forget.' Did someone like Itachi deserve forgiveness? Was he just supposed to _forget_ what he had done?

He grabbed Sakura's wrist and pulled her closer to him. "Tell me, Sakura. Why does forgiveness mean so much to you?"

She looked up into his eyes and he saw strength in there that hadn't existed before he'd left. "Forgiveness means a chance to start over, to begin again. Why wouldn't that be important?"

His grasp on her wrist grew tighter. "So do you think everyone deserves forgiveness?"

She didn't break eye contact, something she would have done when she was younger. "Yes." And he could tell she believed it wholeheartedly.

She was so _naïve_.

"Even people like Itachi," he hissed, hating that he was giving so much away and yet not being able to stop himself.

The conviction in her gaze wavered briefly before she answered. "Everyone deserves forgiveness, Sasuke, but that doesn't mean they don't also deserve justice."

"So you're saying I should just forgive Itachi for what he did to my clan, to my family and to me?" It was getting hard to speak past the pain in his chest and he just wished she'd yell at him or hit him or something so he wouldn't feel so damn bad.

"I'm saying you should probably consider it," she replied softly.

Sasuke let go of her wrist. It was so fragile. It shouldn't be able to break through concrete walls.

He was tiring of this line of conversation fast. "Why does my forgiveness mean so much to you, Sakura?" He said her name mockingly, trying to pry a reaction from her. If this were Naruto, they would have been trying to kill each other long ago. _That_ he could handle.

"I care about you. Shouldn't forgiveness mean the most from people we care about?" she replied with that infuriating innocence of hers.

Sasuke ground his teeth together and ran a hand through his hair. "What if_ they_ don't care about _you_?"

He saw a flash of hurt cross her expression before it turned into resolve. Her gaze was unrelenting in its sincerity and he hated it. "It doesn't change anything."

They stared at each other for a few moments, caught in a battle of wills, but it seemed Sakura was more stubborn that he'd remembered.

He turned away. "It doesn't matter either way."

He just knew a small smile graced Sakura's lips. She had won this time, but that was only because he really couldn't care less. He didn't.

"We'll see," she said before she turned and walked away, what he'd wanted her to do in the first place.

But now he felt even more alone than before.


	12. Feel the Rain

**A/N: I tried to update as quickly as possible for all you guys! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, even though I was half asleep as I did. There's a lot of mistakes that I will correct when I can be bothered or when walkingwater goes through it. Whatever, just ignore them for now, okay? **

**I also want to give a shout out to my reviewers. Thank you so much guys! I love waking up and checking my emails to find I have 20 or something! Makes my day! I want to give a special thank you to:**

Sakura5558** : I think you are my most avid follower (of the few I have) and thank you so much for all your reviews and encouragement!**

roxnroll **: Thank you for the reviews that are actually more than two sentences long! You have some good input and I always enjoy reading reviews from you!**

**Okay, that's all! Enjoy! **

**Feel the Rain**

_You remind me of the times _

_When I knew who I was_

_But still the second hand will catch us_

_Like it always does_

**_- "Until the Day I Die", _****Story of the Year**

"So how do you plan on finding Sally?" Tura asked as she and Sakura were washing the dishes. Sakura had insisted on helping this time.

Sakura paused, elbow-deep in sink water. "Um…I hadn't really thought about that." She had been kind of…distracted with other things (meaning Sasuke). She laughed nervously. "Well, aren't I just a great team leader!"

Tura smiled knowingly. "I guess you can't help it that you've been distracted, what, with running into your long-lost comrade and all."

Sakura froze. "Um…you know?"

_Shit, shit, shit! She's going to kill me!_

Tura chuckled. "Of course I knew. It's my job to know!"

Sakura gulped nervously. "So…uh…so you know I lied to you?"

"Yeah, but its okay; you had a good reason."

Inner Sakura wiped sweat off her brow while she just relaxed her shoulders (which she hadn't even realized had been stiff in the first place). "Sorry about that."

Tura shrugged. "Like I said, you had a good reason. And I forgive you for bringing an assassin into the house as well."

Sakura heart dropped to her stomach. "You know about that too?" she squeaked.

Tura laughed at her expression. "Yeah, but I figured if he was going to kill me he would have done it already. I had a nice little chat to him about it while he was staring at you, so it's all sorted."

Sakura breathed an audible sigh of relief. "That's good…wait…he was staring at me? When? Why? For how long?"

**He was staring, he was staring!**

_Shut up! For all we know, he was staring because I had something on my ass or in my teeth! It would just make so much sense for it to have been about that!_

Tura laughed. "You'll have to ask him yourself."

Sakura snorted. Like she was ever going to walk up to Uchiha Sasuke and say 'Oh, by the way. Tura said you were staring at me. Why was that, exactly?' Yeah, that would go down _real_ well.

"I think we got a bit off topic there…" Tura started.

_Oh, yeah. Sally. _

"Now that I think about it, I really can't think of any way we can find him. If he's as elusive as you say…well, we'd just have to wander around randomly looking for leads. God only knows how long that would take us!" Great, now she was seriously beginning to get depressed.

"Well…I do have a suggestion."

Sakura perked up immediately. She liked suggestions! "Yes?"

Tura looked uncharacteristically hesitant. "I have a lot of connections and I'm sure that if I send word to them to look out for a man of Sally's description they would. If they saw anything, they'd send word back immediately. We look out for each other."

It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off Sakura's shoulders. This solved _everything_. "That's sounds perfect!"

Tura paused. "Well the thing is, I have no idea how long it would take for one of them to catch sight of him. Like you said, he's elusive and we have no idea where he is at the moment. You may have to wait a while for anything to turn up."

And then the weight came crashing right back down again. This presented whole new issues. "So we'd wait here?"

"You'd be welcome to stay as long as you need. Besides, it would make more sense seeing as the messages would be coming directly to me."

"But you have no idea how long it would take for the word to come."

Tura shook her head.

Sakura bit her lip, a habit she had acquired when she thought hard. In a way, this suggestion solved a lot of problems, but it also raised a lot of questions. Should they really sit around doing nothing for God-knows how long? But then again, was there really any point in wandering around, aimlessly searching for leads that could quite possibly never show up?

"I'll have to talk to the boys."

_5 minutes later…_

"So it's agreed? We're staying?

Sasuke nodded once and Naruto nodded emphatically, looking very pleased with the turn of events. Sakura was surprised they, especially Sasuke, had agreed so easily, but when she really thought about it she realised this really was their best option at the moment. And at least here they had warm beds, warm showers and proper food. What more could they want?

Tura clasped her hands together in front of her face. "Great!" Then her gaze turned speculative as she looked at the three shinobi. "Now, don't think you're going to be freeloading, amazing shinobi or not! You'll work for your own food, and there's a lot to be done around here! I'm sure Myra will be happy to have a lighter load for once!"

Naruto groaned. "Sakura, what did you get us into?"

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. "Nothing you didn't agree to, idiot!"

"Now then, shall we start with the mess out the front? I'm not really sure how you're going to clean up craters, earth walls and felled trees, but that's not really my problem anymore. I'm sure you boys will figure it out!" Tura smiled.

Sasuke shut his eyes in what was probably exasperation and Naruto stood up and pointed an accusing finger at Sakura. "But _she_ helped!"

Sakura gasped in indignation while Tura shook her head in reprieve. "_She_ created a wall. _You_ blew craters in the ground, felled trees and, I might add, nearly blew up the house so I think she can be left out of it. Besides, Sakura is helping me peel apples. Definitely a mundane task, one I think you'd fail at miserably."

Naruto put on his determined, I-Can-Do-Anything look. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I can do whatever mundane task you shove my way!"

Tura laughed loudly. "Well, when you've finished out there, look for me and I'll see what I can do about that."

Sakura smiled mischievously. The poor fool didn't know what he was getting himself into. She _hated_ peeling apple or any kind of fruit or vegetable for that matter. She was used to it because of her parent's shop.

Sasuke cleared his throat from his usual position on the wall. "I just want to point out that I didn't have anything to do with Naruto blowing holes in the ground and felling trees."

Sakura raised a brow. Oh, so he talks when he wants to get out of work? Figures.

Tura smirked. "Don't even _think_ about trying to get out of this, Uchiha. Naruto wouldn't have been destroying things if you hadn't been encouraging him.

Sasuke muttered something under his breath and turned his head to the side, indicating that his participation in the conversation was at an end.

Ten minutes later, Sakura found herself sitting on the kitchen table peeling apple after apple with Tura. She hadn't even known Tura had an apple tree orchid somewhere on her vast property.

"How'd you get all this land, anyway?" she asked, desperate for conversation. She never could stay in silence for extended amount of time.

"When the Third granted my husband's leave, he gave him this land in thanks for his hard and dedicated work in Konoha."

"Oh, okay. Cool."

End of conversation.

She sighed.

Her hand was cramping and little pains were shooting down her back. And it was so _boring_. She found her gaze wandering to the window. Through it she could see the boys cleaning up the mess they'd…err…Naruto had made.

After constant nagging from Naruto, she'd gone out there and punched her wall down so all they had to do was cart off chucks of hard-packed earth, which was what they were currently doing. Naruto was using his shadow clones. There was at least fifteen of them and now and then Sasuke would get pissed off with one and stab it with a kunai, causing Naruto to yell at him and just make more.

And Sasuke…well, what could she say? Her mind had gone blank as soon as she'd laid eyes on him. He was carting off loads without using any shinobi tricks, probably trying to build his strength or something. But that wasn't what had her so utterly distracted.

He wasn't wearing a shirt.

And from this vantage point, she could see the way his toned muscles bunched and clenched as he picked up the heavy rocks. Her mouth went dry as the layer of sweat that coated his flawless skin shimmered in the sunlight.

_Oh, my…_

"What's the deal between you too, anyway?"

Sakura snapped out of her Sasuke-induced trance and blinked to attention. "Huh?"

Tura smirked. "You were staring at him…and you're drooling." She replied, not taking her eyes off the apples.

Sakura wiped her mouth. She had been drooling, hadn't she?

_How embarrassing!_

And there was no need to ask who Tura was referring to. It was amazingly obvious.

"So what's the deal between you two?" Tura repeated while nodding her head in Sasuke's direction.

Sakura laughed nervously, but the sound got caught in her throat and it sounded more like she was choking. "Deal? What deal? There's no _deal_!"

She knew her voice was way too high pitched for that to sound normal.

Tura's smirk grew. "So tell me."

_Well, there's no fooling this woman, is there? _Not counting the fact that she had done a really bad job in trying to fool her. What was the harm in answering, anyway? It's not like there was anything between them _now_. Well, there wasn't really anything between them back then either. It had always been painfully one-sided.

"Well, I used to be in love with him back when we were genin. It was always unrequited, but that didn't faze me. It was always 'Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke!' I annoyed him to no end. It was pathetic, really. Thankfully, I got over him a few years after he left, but he'll always remain dear to me…as a friend. Like Naruto." Her voice was light and flippant, like it was all a silly little part of her life that was laughable…which it was, really.

Tura frowned thoughtfully. "So that's why you were staring at him just then?"

Sakura laughed…even she knew it sounded ridiculously fake. "Well, he is insanely good-looking, of course. You kind of can't help it." Hopefully that would explain everything.

It didn't.

"So you're not in love with him anymore?"

Sakura shook her head a little too emphatically. "No, I'm not."

Tura nodded slowly. "So maybe you weren't in love with him in the first place. Maybe it was just infatuation if you just got over him like that."

Sakura immediately went on the defensive. Not in love with Sasuke? How could she not have been in love with him? Hadn't she waited for hours by the gate so she could try and stop him from leaving? Hadn't she pleaded with him to either stay or take her with him? Hadn't she, after he'd left, cried for so long she felt sick? And what about that gnawing emptiness that had eaten away at her insides for months upon months until she decided enough was enough? How could that not have been love? If it wasn't love, what had all that pain been for?

Her hands shook slightly as she peeled the next apple. "Wh-What makes you say that?" she asked softly.

Tura shrugged. "Well, I suppose everyone has their different views on love and I have my own, but the one thing I've always noticed that is constant is that love never stops. Love isn't just some fluttering feeling you get when they touch you, though that is part of it. Love isn't the anxiety you feel to be around them all the time, though that comes into it too. Love is…indefinable, really. But one thing I do know, from experience, is that it never, ever just goes away after a few years. It's not just something you can get over in time. It's there. You can suppress it, or try to, or deny it, but in the end it's always there. So either you love him now or you never did."

She felt the anger rise in her chest, that familiar warm rush of adrenaline that started in the pit of her stomach and kept rising. How did she know? Just because she had a dead husband she couldn't get over didn't mean Sakura had never loved Sasuke! What did Tura know of that situation anyway? Sasuke had left. He had abandoned her. What else was she supposed to do _but_ get over him?

She told Tura as much (leaving out the dead husband bit - that was a bit insensitive) and Tura smiled sadly but knowingly.

"Then tell me what it was like."

Suddenly a wave of dread washed over Sakura like one of Kakashi's annoying water jutsus, taking all the life out of her with it. She thought about that as little as possible because as she did, all those feelings of utter helplessness returned and the one thing she could not stand was being weak and revisiting that unwelcome memory made her feel weak like nothing else.

But she found herself talking anyway. "It was in the middle of the night. No one was around; no one but me. I…I had waited there in the cold for hours…waited for him because something in me just _knew_ he was going to leave me. And when I saw him with the backpack, I thought I was going to faint or puke or something worse. I was frozen to the spot for a bit as it hit me that he was actually _leaving_ me. Then as I heard him walk away, I turned and we talked. Well, I talked. And begged. And pleaded. And cried. I tried everything, but he just stayed silent. And then he said I made him sick and when I threatened to scream…he knocked me out and left me on the bench. He just left me."

Her voice had broken into a haunted whisper as all-too familiar tears pricked in her eyes. But she refused to let them fall. She'd promised never to cry over him again.

"When I was woken up, there was this emptiness in my chest that hadn't been there before. Every day he didn't come back, it got worse. For about two months I woke up at the dead of night and stood at that same place waiting for him. At first I'd been waiting for Naruto as well, as he had gone after him. He promised he'd bring him back so I waited because Naruto always fulfilled his promises. But he didn't fulfil this one. He couldn't. I didn't hold it against him. I blamed myself instead…for being so weak. I thought that maybe…_maybe_ if I was just that bit stronger I could have convinced him to stay or at least convinced him to take me with him. Maybe if I had been stronger he would have seen that he could get strong here, too. But no, I wasn't enough. So the self-loathing set in and soon after Tsunade became Hokage, I begged for her help. I was desperate. Maybe she saw this - I don't know - but eventually she agreed and I got stronger. As I got stronger, I didn't start to hate myself so much and once Naruto came back from his own training things started feeling right again. Life continued on. It didn't just stop like I thought it would. Life kept going and there were things that needed to be done, things that I was needed for and I guess all those other things filled that emptiness and that was that."

Sakura chuckled. "Then I saw him again. I could barely move. Part of me couldn't believe he was actually there, but then suddenly everything felt so right again. I felt more right than I had ever felt since he left. I had forgotten how right I had felt when he was there, so after that I was determined to get him back once and for all. So here I am. So here we are. Sometimes I can't believe he's actually here again, with me. But at the same time it's so…natural that sometimes I forget he left in the first place, more like an extended vacation or something. But he's a bit more distant than usual. Well, maybe not. He doesn't fight with Naruto as much, but from what I can tell, that's going to be happening a lot more. Those two can't help it."

She sighed. "Sometimes I envy Naruto that. He can just worm his way into people's lives without even trying to. And with Sasuke…he's just like he was before. Naruto just immediately reverted back to the way they were before, like Sasuke had never left. But I can't seem to do that. I never say the right thing and it's like he's keeping me at more of an arm's distance than he was before. I know before it was because I was in love with him and wouldn't leave him alone, but now? I just want to be his friend…but he doesn't want to let me in. Well, I guess I should have expected that. He never lets anyone in."

Sakura finished her monologue with a huge sigh of relief. She had needed to get that off her chest and Tura had done nothing but listen. She hadn't interrupted or caused Sakura to lose her train of thought. It was just what she did to her friends back in Konoha, just sat back and let them vent.

"I needed that!" Sakura exclaimed with a bright smile on her face.

Tura smiled back at her. "I know. And Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"You're still in love with him."

000

_Five days later…_

Sakura hummed to herself as she hung out the washing. She was used to doing a lot of washing back in Konoha so she had offered to do this for Tura seeing as there was three times as much to be washed.

Back home she did Naruto's washing once a week. That boy was completely hopeless when it came to all things domestic. Sakura usually just let him go, but when it came to his personal hygiene she put her foot down. She had tried to teach him how to wash his own clothes, but that had resulted in a broken washing machine and an apartment flooded with bubbles and soapy water. After that unforgettable experience Sakura had given up and decided to do his washing for him instead.

Now she was doing her washing along with Tura, Myra, and Naruto's (when she had asked Sasuke he'd said he'd do his own and walked away). She and Naruto didn't have a lot as they had only brought one other outfit - they didn't have room to carry anything more. Naruto usually didn't bring a change of anything (including underwear) on missions, but Sakura always forced him to when he was on missions with her.

Her first outfit was in dire need of cleaning so she was wearing her second one, which was identical to the first. She saw no need for variation. Neither did any shinobi. If they found an outfit that suited their style and comfort, why bother finding another when they could just buy copies of that same outfit? No one thought it was unstylish or weird because the majority of the population of Konoha were shinobi.

These past five days had been perfectly relaxing. Though the boys hated the chores Tura forced upon them, Sakura revelled in them. It was so nice to not have to worry about completing this mission and healing this person and saving this person's life for once. Sure, she loved her job but it did get a bit overwhelming at times. She loved just being able to be normal for once. Normality was such a novelty and normality meant everyday chores, so she did everyday chores and she was happy about it, hence her awesome mood.

That awesome mood was also accredited to the fact that she no longer had to share a bed. When they had figured out that they were going to stay here for a while, Sakura knew she couldn't share a bed with Naruto for that long, so they had constructed a makeshift bed on the floor next to the double.

Then that had resulted in a massive argument between the three (it still baffled Sakura how Sasuke managed to argue without really saying anything) about who slept where. After a painstakingly long discussion, Tura had popped in a suggested they rotate, that way they all got a turn on the most comfortable spot and the worst spot. Tonight she was due to sleep on the bed, Sasuke was sleeping on the floor next to the bed and Naruto was on the couch in the other room.

She had only slept in the same room as Sasuke once so far, when he had been on the bed and she on the floor. She hadn't been able to get much sleep that night because she had been ultra-aware of Sasuke the whole damn time and it didn't help that his annoyingly masculine scent had filled the room so every time she breathed, she breathed in _him_. And it also hadn't helped that the floor wasn't the most comfortable place ever. She was hoping tonight she'd be able to sleep because _she_ was on the bed and _he_ was on the floor.

"Sakura!"

She paused her humming and turned to Tura. "Hey, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you and Sasuke could pop into the village and pick up some things for me."

Sakura frowned in confusion. "Why me and Sasuke? I mean, I don't mind going, but why Sasuke?"

Tura smiled innocently, far too innocently (she never looked innocent) and shrugged. "I already have Naruto carting horse manure and I have to stick around so he doesn't end up dumping it on the wrong stuff like he's bound to. Myra's at a friend's house. I thought it would be nice for her seeing as she never has the chance to get out much. So that leaves you and Sasuke."

Sakura narrowed her eyes in suspicion. It sounded like she had purposely created alibis for the others just so she and Sasuke were the only ones free, but it was probably just all in her head. What purpose would Tura have in doing something like that? Sakura just wasn't looking forward to the thought of spending all that time alone with Sasuke…but then again, it wasn't like he talked or anything so she probably wouldn't notice him anyway. But still…

"I could go by myself!"

Tura shook her head. "You can't. I know you can full take care of yourself, but you wouldn't be able to carry everything back, even with your strength. You don't have enough hands. And besides, the Uchiha isn't doing anything so he can get off his royal ass and do something!"

Sakura shrugged. "Fine with me. Have fun convincing _him_, though."

000

Sasuke gritted his teeth in annoyance as he walked alongside an annoyingly happy Sakura. He didn't know why she was in such a damn good mood, but it was seriously started to get on his nerves. She shouldn't be this happy. They were sitting around doing nothing while Sally was running around God-knows where.

But that was the whole problem - they didn't know where he was. What choice did they have but to wait for a sighting? But it was just this waiting and inactiveness that had him on edge.

Granted, they weren't exactly inactive. The woman had them doing all sorts of unnecessary chores that had nothing to do with them anyway. He could have been training these past five days but no, she had them working from dawn to dusk. She wouldn't let him spar with Naruto because of what had happened last time. He had protested that he could exert self-control, but she had replied that around Naruto he couldn't….

…Which was probably true, but that hardly signified.

And now he found himself doing another pointless chore with Sakura, whose incessant humming was starting to get on his nerves. It'd been easy to avoid her for the past five days. It happened without trying. They had always been working on different things at different times, which was fine with him. He didn't like the way he felt when she was around…because when she was around he was suddenly painfully aware of everything he'd forgotten a long time ago.

Plus, those legs were driving him to the point of distraction. He sincerely wished she'd remained a shapeless, annoying twelve-year-old because he'd mastered the art of ignoring _that_. But this new Sakura was a bit more difficult. Not only did she have a much different body shape, her ways of annoying him were more subtle now, more understated, so he couldn't prepare himself beforehand. He was still trying to master ignoring this new Sakura, but he had a ways to go.

Like when they had slept in the same room the other night he had simply not been able to sleep. Her scent filled the room and it was like every time he breathed, he breathed in _her_. And if he _breathed_ in her, that meant he _thought_ about her…and her legs, which he could have clearly seen had he rolled over to his side. He had resisted the temptation (which shouldn't have been a temptation in the first place) and stayed on his back, staring at the ceiling while he listened to her breathe. Tonight they were supposed to do it again, accept this time he was on the floor. Even worse.

And that humming was _really_ annoying him.

"Would you _stop_ that?"

She smiled sweetly at him. It was so fake-looking as to be ridiculous.

"Maybe I would if you talked to me. I have to entertain myself somehow!"

He wasn't quite sure he liked this Sakura much. Maybe the obsessive, weak one was better after all. At least _that_ one listened to what he said with an almost unnatural reverence and immediately did anything he asked of her.

She continued humming and if she didn't stop soon he was going to _force_ her to stop. Why was she so damn _happy_? It was unnatural. Now she was probably doing it just to annoy him. It's something she normally would have only reserved for Naruto…but now he was victim to it as well.

Woman. They were so…_annoying_.

Just as he was about to forcibly shut Sakura up, they rounded a bend and the village was in view. He breathed a sigh of intense relief.

_Finally…_

When they reached the outskirts of the village Sasuke noticed people giving them strange looks. That was to be expected. In a village as small as this, outsiders were bound to be noticed, especially outsiders that looked like them. Sakura's pink hair stood out among any crowd and he…well, he just plain stood out.

Sure, Sakura had convinced him to leave his katana at the house. He'd said he didn't like being defenceless, but she had scoffed at that and said he was hardly defenceless, which was true, and he knew the katana would bring attention of the wrong sort so he'd finally relented. But compared to these simple villagers he was definitely dressed more…sophisticated. He still wore his shinobi outfit as it was the most comfortable. Besides, he hardly cared if people knew he was a shinobi.

But it wasn't just the clothes that made him stand out. He just stood out, period. It didn't matter where he went or what he wore, people just noticed him, especially girls. He knew he was good-looking; he'd have to be a half-wit not to notice the way they looked at him, and he didn't really mind either way, but sometimes…sometimes he just wished he was unnoticeable. He knew most guys would kill for his looks, but there were times when his looks got in his way. It would be so much easier to gather information or complete a mission if he didn't have girls trying to throw themselves at him, which was why he had reverted to the cloak. It didn't help much.

Sakura seemed blissfully oblivious to the attention they attracted and was busy studying the list Tura had given her. She bit her lip and Sasuke's attention was immediately drawn there. He wished she'd stop. It was annoying.

"Well, it seems most of the stuff on the list is food. We can get that from the grocery shop over there." She pointed somewhere but he didn't look. He didn't care. "And there's some linen we have to pick up from the seamstress and that's about it!"

She smiled up at him and he blinked back. Why did she have to smile all the time, anyway? What was the point?

"Okay! I think we should go to the seamstress first because then there's a greater chance the food won't spoil on the way back."

"Whatever." He wasn't really planning on helping. Tura had said 'Help her carry things back' so that's what he was going to do, nothing else.

He wordlessly followed her to the seamstress, ignoring all the curious (and, in some cases, not-so-curious) looks directed their way. They walked into an average-looking shop that had linen draped over everything linen could possibly be draped over. He seriously didn't get what was so important about all this crap. Clothes were clothes, who cared what they looked like? He did, however, have some reservations - like Lee's spandex. He'd never forget about _that_ as long as he lived.

At first the lady in the shop completely ignored Sakura and went to him.

"Hello! And what can I do for you on this fine day?" she said in a way that implied she'd be willing to do _anything_.

What was wrong with these women? And it wasn't a nice day anyway. It looked like it was going to rain any time now. He hated rain. How was that fine?

"I don't know, ask her," he monotoned, indicating to Sakura with an inclination of his head. Sakura was practically seething at having been ignored. He smirked. She'd have to get used to it because it happened a hell of a lot.

The lady reluctantly turned her attention to Sakura, who was as curt as politely possible. He didn't listen to a word they said as he was too busy wondering if the rain would hold off until they got back. He'd been expected a storm for a while now - all the signs of the weather had indicated it. He'd be able to hear when the rain was coming, but he couldn't really predict further than thirty seconds ahead in that regard.

When Sakura had finished with the shopkeeper she had a bunch of linen that was wrapped around a cardboard cylinder. There were three and of course she shoved them on him. He scowled. She had free hands and she was certainly strong enough, not that these things were heavy or anything.

He followed a smiling Sakura to the grocery store amid more stares. He figured either Sakura had no idea people were staring at her or she was just ignoring them. It was probably the former. He didn't think she'd be used to people staring at her in Konoha. People with unusual hair colours were everywhere, from what he could remember. Hell, you got off lucky if you just had weird hair colour. He remembered what Kisame looked like. Bastard. Any physical misfortune bestowed upon his countenance served him right.

When they walked into the grocery store, a little bell tinkled, indicating their arrival. Like they needed it. People stopped and stared anyway. But did that faze Sakura? Nope. She just walked in with that smile on her face calling out a 'hello' to who was probably the owner.

Sasuke sighed in annoyance as he saw a group of girls look in his direction and giggle, then whisper among themselves with secretive smiles on their faces, like it really wasn't obvious they were talking about him. He didn't want to follow Sakura around like a lapdog, so he told her he'd wait outside. She just nodded listlessly and wandered off to do her shopping like the normal girl she wasn't.

It was getting colder. Tura had said it was hot during the day and near freezing at night. He'd noticed. He should have brought his cloak, but it didn't really matter either way because he could handle a little cold weather. Actually, he could handle a _lot _of cold weather. He'd trained his body to survive in extreme conditions, but that didn't mean he liked it.

And then the inevitable happened. Those girls tried to talk to him. It really wasn't his day.

"Hi…" one started shyly and blushed for no reason while the other two girls giggled, also for no reason.

He didn't reply, just turned his head in the other direction, hoping they'd get the message and get lost. There was no point in trying to be polite to girls like that. Anything that came out of his mouth just encouraged them.

But she didn't give up.

"Um…my friends and I were wondering if that pink-haired girl in there is your girlfriend," she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and bit her lip nervously. She reminded him of Sakura back in their genin days, which made her even more annoying.

He didn't even acknowledge that she'd spoken and prayed to whatever god he remembered that Sakura would finish soon. He didn't think he'd ever actually _want_ to see Sakura in his lifetime, but he supposed there was a first for everything.

The girl was about to ask him another question when the grocery door tinkled again and out popped a smiling Sakura. "Hi, Sasuke!"

Now they could get out of this hellhole. He didn't think he'd ever been so relieved to see her. He didn't he'd ever been relieved to see her, period.

"Let's go," he said to Sakura.

The girls giggled when he spoke and he almost felt like laughing at them, but they were hardly worth they effort. They were so pathetic.

Sakura smiled. "Okay!" She turned to the three girls who were currently eyeing her. "Who are you?"

Sasuke wanted to groan. She wasn't supposed to _talk_ to them, they were supposed to _leave_!

The girl who had spoken to him smiled cockily. "Well, we were just wondering if you were his girlfriend, but now that we've seen you close up, we don't think so. He'd never pick a girl like you. Your forehead's too big."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched and her eyes narrowed. He could feel her anger radiate off her.

He sighed. This was getting far too troublesome. The girl had already started talking about him like he wasn't there and like _they_ knew what _he_ would like. It was so…_pathetic_. Insulting Sakura had just made it worse. Now she wouldn't leave it alone like he wanted to. God only knew what she'd do.

And what she _did_ do was the _last_ thing he'd ever expected.

She smiled sweetly at the girls then took his hand with hers. He flinched at the unexpected contact. Her hand was cold and he'd never really noticed how small they were until one was dwarfed in his. And it didn't escape his noticed that it fit perfectly.

_Wait, what the _hell_ is she doing?_

It was all he could do to keep his expression blank while a plethora of alien emotions coursed up his arm, through his chest and pitted in the base of his stomach; emotions that were both pleasant and unwelcome.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I _am_ his girlfriend so I suggest you leave us the hell alone and be on your merry way, okay?" Sakura said with a fake sweetness.

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Then why didn't he say you were his girlfriend before?"

Sakura's smile didn't falter for a second. "Because he doesn't talk to little girls like you." Then she smiled up at him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Is that right, Sasuke?"

Well, if this was going to get them to go away…

"…Yeah."

The girl huffed. "Whatever. He's not that hot anyway." With that said she and her friends walked away, _finally_ leaving him in peace.

Sakura promptly let go of his hand. It immediately felt cold without her warmth.

She smiled at him. "Sorry about that, but they were just such brats! And at least I got them to go away!"

This was her subtle was of apologizing. Well, whatever. He didn't care as long as they went away…and it hadn't been exactly unpleasant…

"We should go before it starts raining," was all he said.

_Five minutes later…_

It was going to rain. He could just feel it. And it put him in a worse mood than before. This was seriously _not_ his day.

He picked up the pace, not bothering to check if Sakura was keeping up. That is, until she decided to make it known that she did not care for the change of pace.

"Hey, wait up!"

Sasuke shut his eyes, counted to three, and turned around to face her. She was carrying two grocery bags. Nothing she shouldn't have been able to handle.

"What?" he bit out. The longer they stopped the greater the possibility that it would rain on them.

"Could you please walk a little slower? What's your big rush anyway?" she huffed.

He ignored her questions. "What's your problem? Don't tell me those bags are too heavy for you?" he asked in a condescending tone, knowing it would annoy her and then she would have to prove that she was strong by carrying the bags all the way back faster than he was carrying the linen.

But she only looked exasperated. "Do you _know_ how heavy these bags are?"

This time he did groan, albeit quietly. "Consider it training. Just hurry up."

Sakura groaned. Loudly. "Why are we in such a rush anyway?"

_Give me patience._

"_Because_ it's about to rain and I don't want to get soaked through," he ground out impatiently, despite his silent plea.

Sakura laughed out loud. He scowled. Now what?

"Oh, is the great Uchiha Sasuke scared of a little rain? He will fearlessly take on shinobi far and wide, but give him a little rain and he's running for the hills!" she mocked.

Sasuke's scowl deepened. He definitely liked the pathetic Sakura more at the moment.

He opened his mouth to reply when (surprise, surprise) it started raining. He shut his eyes and clenched his jaw as he felt the cold drops slowly start to wet his clothes, hair and bare skin. Fortunately it wasn't heavy…yet.

Sakura laughed louder. "How about that?"

He glared at her and wordlessly walked for cover under the nearest tree. He didn't know about her, but he had no plans of getting completely drenched.

Once Sakura realized she was standing on the road by herself, she trudged under the tree to stand next to him, placing the grocery bags on the ground. They silently watched under the natural canopy of branches and leaves as the rain got heavier and heavier around them.

It was then that he noticed Sakura was smiling. He almost groaned again.

_What could she possibly be smiling about _now?

Without another word, she walked out from under the cover into the rain and spread her arms out, face to the sky.

Sasuke raised a brow in surprise. _What_ was she _doing_? She was going to get soaked. It seemed as though she didn't care. Suddenly she started laughing and twirled around in circles as the rain continued to pelt at her skin.

He didn't know why, but something about the sight made his chest tighten and suddenly it was a lot harder to breathe. Again, the word 'beautiful' popped into his head before he could stop it and it stayed there, teasing the edge of his consciousness. But not only did she look beautiful…but also carefree and innocent and pure and _happy_. Everything he wasn't.

He wondered what it would be like to be able to happy for no reason at all; to be happy because it was raining. He wondered what that kind of freedom would feel like. Maybe that was why she was so happy over _rain_, because she could be.

Sakura was as free to do pointless things like that. She was free to be able to make her own choices, do what she wanted, whereas he…he was not. He was weighed down by what his brother did like it was a shackle and chain dragging him to the bottom of the ocean.

Sure, he could ignore what had happened to his clan and attempt to lead a normal life, but it would always, always be there…a shadow blemishing what would otherwise be a bright existence. And after what Itachi had done, what else was left for him other than revenge and hate? How could he ignore what Itachi had done and not avenge his clan and parents? He couldn't. He just couldn't. He was a slave to his own fate and all because of his older brother.

Just one of the many reasons he hated him.

Sakura's laughter brought him out of his thoughts. She was thoroughly wet now and it was utterly distracting. He could see every curve of her body, every dip and bend and it certainly wasn't sore on the eyes. Usually he'd be disgusted that he'd think such things, but at the moment anything was better than thinking about Itachi.

"Sasuke!" she exclaimed with a laugh as she stopped twirling and looked at him, letting the rain drip down her face.

Her hair was plastered to her head; her clothes were plastered to her body. She should have been cold, but it seemed all she could do was smile. For reasons unknown to him, a small smile touched Sasuke's cold lips.

He walked forward until he was under the very edge of treed canopy, only barely protecting his body from the offending downpour.

Her smile grew as she saw he'd responded to her. She threw up her arms once more and turned her face up to the sky. "Don't you just love the rain, Sasuke?"

He turned what was fast becoming a smile into a smirk. "No. It's cold…and wet."

She didn't change her position but started twirling around again, so her words kept on varying in their volume. "Yes, but don't you think it's beautiful?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, trying to contain his amusement. "No."

She stopped twirling, but still didn't look at him. She was looking up at the sky instead. "Rain washes away all the dirt and grime that accumulates on the earth and not only that, it brings new life. People always say rain is sad because it's like Heaven's crying and maybe that's true, but haven't they ever thought that maybe Heaven's crying because it's happy?"

He didn't answer because he didn't think he could past the strange pressure that was building in his chest at her words.

"I've always liked to think that maybe the rain could wash away all the dirt and grime on me too. I don't mean on my body. Just like it washes away all the rubbish on earth, it can wash away all the rubbish on me and create new life." She finally looked at him and when she did, her face was aglow. "I don't know, it's probably stupid, but I can't help but feel just that little bit better when I'm in the rain, even if I do get cold and wet."

Sasuke stared at her as he thought of her words. New beginnings? He wanted to squash the seed of hope that was starting to form in his chest, but he found he couldn't. Maybe he wanted her to be right just this one time because even if she was wrong ultimately, he felt the mere shadow happiness for the first time in a long time and maybe if this made her happy, it was true after all.

"It _is_ stupid," he replied, but both of them knew he didn't mean it.

000

Sakura shivered as the house came into view. It was still raining, albeit very lightly, and she was cold and wet and her nose wouldn't stop running. To put it plainly – she was miserable. And she was seriously regretting her spontaneous tryst in the rain earlier.

She just hadn't been able to help herself. Sasuke had put her in such a bad mood and she just wanted to get back to that happy place she'd been in before and whenever she was in the rain she just felt…renewed somehow.

But it was strange. As she had been talking to Sasuke, saying the first things that came to her mind, something had shifted between them. Now the silence wasn't strained or uncomfortable…it was natural with a sense of comradeship about it. It was like they were more comfortable with each other now and she had no idea why.

And she had noticed that Sasuke didn't look upset for the first time since they'd been reacquainted. Sure, he wasn't exactly smiling and laughing, but he looked…peaceful. And just seeing that made her happy, despite the fact the she was wet and cold with an uncontrollable nose.

As soon as they trudged through the front door, they were met with a scowling Tura, a snickering Naruto and a blushing Myra.

She couldn't blame Myra for the blushing. She'd done the exact same thing every time she'd looked on the wet Uchiha.

After Sakura's little rain dance moment, Sasuke had just stepped out into the rain and started walking, which was a bit weird, but she hadn't been complaining. It wasn't long before the rain started to soak through that damn white shirt of his, therefore defining every little muscle that needed to be defined and damn near making her drool every time she looked at him (not that he would've been able to tell through the rain anyway, but still).

Now said shirt was still clinging sexily to his toned torso and Myra had joined the ogling parade. And, oh, what a parade!

Sakura wasn't exactly feeling comfortable with her own wet shirt. Because it was wet, it was clinging to her. Because it was wet…and cold, her body had starting reacting in ways she didn't really want them to and because her hands were full she couldn't do a thing about it but hope that Sasuke didn't look at her general chest area. Talk about embarrassing.

"I was hoping you wouldn't be caught in the rain! Oh well, I hope the linen isn't ruined." Tura mumbled as she took the linen out of Sasuke's arms.

Sakura gaped at her. What, that was it? No 'Are you fine?' or Would you like some dry clothes?' That was it?

"Um, hello! Two wet, dripping people here!" Sakura pointed out as though it weren't obvious enough.

Tura rolled her eyes. "If your cold, do something about it! What are you, five? Get some dry clothes and stand in front of the fire!"

Sakura groaned as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't have any dry clothes! I washed my other pair and they're probably still hanging out to 'dry!'"

"I don't have any either," Sasuke added.

Naruto laughed loudly. "Then it looks like you're just gonna have to go naked then!"

He was promptly glared into silence by two very wet, very grumpy shinobi.

Tura groaned. "Myra, get them some blankets. You two get out of those clothes and wrap yourselves in the blankets otherwise you'll be sick. Then stand by the fire until I find you some more clothes."

Two minutes later, Sakura found herself in front of the fire with nothing but a blanket wrapped around her, feeling incredibly exposed though most of her skin was covered. It was just the thought that there was _nothing_ underneath the blanket that made her skittish.

And then it was made a hundred times worse when Sasuke walked in with nothing but a blanket wrapped around _him_.

To say it was awkward was a gross understatement. It was like they were in some mutual agreement to look _anywhere_ other than each other. And all Sakura could think about was the fact that Sasuke had nothing under that blanket.

_What is wrong me with! ARGH!_

But still the images didn't stop and the awkwardness escalated to the point where Sakura wanted to scream or do something to break the unbearable tension.

But Sasuke beat her to it.

"_This_ is why I hate rain."

000

It was not better than she thought it would be. It was much, much worse.

Maybe it was because of their shared rain ordeal that afternoon or the fact that he seemed a lot more relaxed ever since. Maybe it was because she'd seem him in nothing but a blanket no more than three hours ago.

But whatever it was, she wasn't able to sleep. She was just lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, breathing in his scent. Damn that scent. He smelled even better after getting soaked through with rain! How was that even possible?

**Okay, Sakura. Try to forget that the hottest guy you've ever seen is laying not two meters away from you and sleep.**

_Easier said than done!_

She did need sleep, though. After walking all the way back in the rain, her body was susceptible to viruses and her body had a better chance fighting off that virus if she was asleep.

Resolve renewed, Sakura shut her eyes tightly and turned to her side, back facing Sasuke's direction, trying to focus on anything but him.

That position obviously wasn't working.

She turned to her other side. That was worse, seeing as she was facing his direction this time. The long she stayed in that position the more she wanted to peek over the edge of the bed and see what he looked like, what he was doing, how his limbs were arranged in his slumber.

So there she went, twisting and turning and twisting and turning, trying to get in the most comfortable position possible when the worst thing that could happen, happened.

It wouldn't have been so bad if she had fallen off any other side of the bed. She could have simply blushed in embarrassment, been grateful no one saw her clumsiness, and climbed right back on the bed like it had never happened.

But of course she had to fall on the side Sasuke was sleeping on. And of course she fell _right on top of him_.

"Eep!"

"Urgh…"

"God, I am _so_ sorry!"

"…Sakura?"

Sakura blushed three shades of pink as her body immediately heated to what it was feeling…all hard muscle and all Sasuke.

As soon as she had touched him, Sasuke, ever aware, had flipped their positions and she was now pinned under him with a kunai to her throat.

His face was inches from hers; one elbow was propped by the side of her head while the other arm held the kunai at her throat. And as for the rest of his body? Well, it was pressed inch for inch against hers. All that sweet, sweet body weight…

"What are you doing?" he asked with a very impatient tone as he moved the kunai knife. He still didn't move from on top of her, though.

She tried to answer past the burning desire in the pit of her stomach that threatened to overwhelm her at any second. She hated it. She hated that he still had this affect on her after all these years, after all he'd done. It shouldn't have been that way at all!

"I…I fell," she whispered, trying to ignore the way his body was pressed so intimately against hers.

_Damn! This is not good! This is not good!_

**Cha! This is freaking awesome!**

He finally moved off her, but the shockwaves of desire still coursed through her body nonetheless. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to will the feelings away…but it didn't work, of course.

_Damn it!_

Sasuke ran a hand through his tousled hair as she sat up slowly, still a little shaken.

"Is this going to be a regular occurrence?" he asked with a condescending tone that she absolutely _hated_.

Sakura felt her anger grow. Not so much at him, because he really did have every right to be angry, but at herself - at the feelings that were still assaulting her body in every way she didn't want them to. And _that_ was all because of him, even if he couldn't help it.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? Let's just forget it and go back to sleep. It won't happen again!" she snapped impatiently.

Sasuke sneered at her. She could see it through the darkness. "I think I should get something in return for that."

"What?"

"You did wake me up and all."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, even though she knew he probably couldn't see her. "Something like…?"

"The bed."

"Over my dead body!" she whispered harshly, so not to wake anyone up.

She could see Sasuke smirk in the moonlight. "Well, I'm sick of the damn floor and I'm sleeping on the bed." He stood up. "Feel free to join me." He mocked as he slithered under the covers, obviously thinking she wouldn't want to.

And she didn't.

But she couldn't _stand_ the fact that he thought he had her pegged so perfectly. She couldn't_ stand_ the fact that he thought he could just take what he wanted because he wanted it without any thought for anyone else.

Well, she'd show him that he _wasn't_ always right and he _couldn't_ always get want he wanted.

With a smirk of her own, she stood up and lay down under the covers on the other side of the bed, trying to ignore the fact that Sasuke was now no more than a foot away from her. She had to do this to prove her point and show the bastard up!

"What do you think you're doing?" his cold voice came from the other side of the bed.

Sakura's nervousness fled and her triumphant smirk returned. "You said feel free to join you, so that's what I'm doing!" she replied innocently. "Feel free to return to the floor anytime," she added, just for good measure.

Sasuke turned under the blankets so his back was facing her. "Whatever. Just don't touch me."

Not to be outdone, Sakura turned in the opposite direction. "Same for you, buster, or you'll be getting the same treatment as Naruto."

Sasuke scoffed. "Last I saw, that was absolutely nothing. Actually, you seemed quite comfortable."

Sakura blushed and her body went hot with embarrassment. "You _saw_ that?"

"Yes."

_Damn it!_

"I was just tired," she lied feebly.

"Whatever. Just shut up and go to sleep."

Sakura rolled her eyes, feeling defeated once more. Could she never get the upper hand with Sasuke?

_Man, Sasuke sure is grumpy when he wakes up! _

**Yeah, no thanks to you. But who cares! You're sleeping in the same bed as Sasuke! Score!**

_No, not score! This sucks! I just did it to win!_

**Yeah, you did it to win a game you weren't even playing and lost in the end anyway. Nice going.**

_No, I'll lose if I get out of the bed, which I don't plan on doing._

**Of course you're not going to get out of the bed! Sasuke's in the bed!**

_Shut up, I'm trying to sleep!_

**Oh, real ingenious!**

_Shut up!_

Sakura shut her eyes and willed herself to sleep. For some reason it was a whole lot easier this time.


	13. All That Is Seen vs All That Is Felt

**A/N: I know it's been a while and I'm sorry! I just got completely lost and had no idea what to write. And then I got a job and was either really busy or really tired from being busy. Once I get back into the storyline again, I will be updating a lot more frequently…I hope. **

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to **maxnatiii-xmel**. Thanks for kicking my ass into gear and practically demanding I update. I guess mild threats and friendly encouragement do work after all! Props to him/her for the update that was a long time coming!**

**Enjoy!**

**All That Is Seen vs. All That Is Felt**

_I swallow the urge to call out your name_

_The need crashes in, I brace for the wave_

_And pray it will pass and not take me under_

**_- "The Guardian", _****Delta Goodrem**

Something wasn't right. To be more specific, ten things weren't right.

_One:_ The pressure on the right side of his body.

_Two:_ The all-too-familiar enticing smell that invaded his senses.

_Three:_ The unnatural warmth.

_Four:_ The right arm which he could no longer feel.

_Five:_ The breath that tickled his bare chest.

_Six:_ The pink hair he couldn't see past.

_Seven:_ The slim and decidedly feminine leg thrown over his.

_Eight:_ Those decidedly female breasts pressed up against his side.

_Nine:_ The desire coursing through his body.

And all those lead to number ten.

_Ten:_ Sakura was sleeping on him.

And number ten lead to all different sorts of problems.

_One:_ He hadn't pushed her away.

_Two:_ His hand covering her hand.

_Three:_ His arm around her torso (which was probably why he couldn't feel it).

_Four:_ He liked it.

_Five:_ He was about to get a hard-on.

_Six:_ He _really_ liked it.

_Seven:_ He _really_ was about to get a hard-on.

_Eight:_ He should seriously push her away, but hadn't quite gotten around to it yet.

_Nine:_ He couldn't feel his arm.

_Ten:_ He didn't want to push her away.

Sasuke shut his charcoal eyes and tried to dispel the feelings their contact created, but it didn't work, of course. If one could simply wish feelings away his life would be a lot simpler.

Trying to stave off the rapidly building desire was an impossible task. Unfortunately that rapidly building desire was pooling in between his legs and that would result in a situation he didn't want to encounter.

_Just push her off._

He looked down at her sleeping form and couldn't stop the small smile that graced his unsuspecting lips. It seemed that he was finding more and more opportunities to think Sakura beautiful these past few days. It was wholly unsettling and wholly unwelcome, but he found he did not want to distance himself just yet.

It was harmless, really. It wasn't _her_ he was attracted to after all. He was only feeling this uncharacteristic desire because he hadn't really had any encounters with the opposite sex at all and all those pent up hormones that were completely natural things to possess were just releasing themselves on the nearest reasonably attractive female he came into contact with. That just happened to be Sakura. It all came down to science. There was nothing…emotional to do with it.

Science. Just science.

There wasn't much he could do but try to ignore those hormones like he'd been doing for years. He didn't know why it seemed so much harder to do this time, but he decided it was a non-matter unworthy of being meditated upon.

Sakura moaned in her sleep and fisted her hand against his chest, causing her small fingers to drag across his bare skin.

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. It _definitely_ hadn't been this hard before. But then again, he'd never exactly slept in the same bed with a female before. Perhaps this alien desire was just his body trying to adjust and cope.

Somehow he knew it was something else, but refused to go there.

He didn't want to ruin this. For once he felt warm, and not just physically. It was like Sakura's touch and pervaded every area of his body, inside and out, and had melted all the ice, so to speak.

Part of him was immediately wary that she would have such a power over him. She shouldn't be able to affect him as much as she did. He didn't know why it was that every time he was with her he immediately felt…alive. It was dangerous and he knew he should squash it as soon as possible. That was why he had left in the first place, wasn't it - because she and Naruto and even Kakashi had started to mean too much to him. He couldn't let that happen again, not when he was so close…

But he didn't want to let go of it either. He felt like he'd come home. It wasn't just now, while Sakura was stirring emotions he'd never felt before; it was just being with them, period. After his family had been murdered by his brother Team Seven had been the closest thing to family he'd ever known. That was another reason he'd had to distance himself. He couldn't risk losing it all again…he wouldn't survive the next time. And he was determined to survive, just to show Itachi up, just to prove he could be the last one standing.

His emotions were warring within his heart and he couldn't remember a time when he'd felt so uncertain. It had probably been when he had left Konoha. He couldn't remember how long he'd stared at his picture of Team Seven, wondering if he should say goodbye, wondering if he could stand losing them.

But in the end he'd had no choice. Everything always came back to Itachi and what he had done. Sasuke's fate was inescapable and there was nothing left for him once it was over. He'd have to do what he had done before and distance himself from them. It wouldn't be easy… Naruto and Sakura weren't exactly the easiest people to get rid of, but he had done it before, he'd do it again.

But for now…for now he'd just sleep.

000

She was freaking out. She was freaking out like she'd never freaked out before and there had been many occasions when she had really freaked out.

There had been the time when Sasuke had left, of course, but that was more like insomniac depression.

There had been the time when she had thought herself in love with Naruto. She had really freaked out over that. Loving Naruto was like loving her brother and incest was just gross (even though it technically wasn't incest). When Ino had persuaded her to just go up and kiss the boy, Sakura had freaked out. She had freaked out when kissing Naruto really did feel like kissing her brother. That had been followed by a feeling of relief (she wasn't in love with Naruto - she had confused it with residual feelings from her massive Sasuke crush and her sisterly feelings of affection paired with the fact that she hadn't seen him for two years). Then the freaking out had returned when she thought their relationship was now ruined. But then the relief came again when Naruto immediately assumed it was a dare Ino had made her complete.

Then there had been the time when she had had to kill her first target. As a person she was wholly averse to killing, but as a shinobi she really didn't have any choice. But the guy had been a sadistic rapist preying on innocent young teens. And after a couple of kills, the freaking out had turned to acceptance and a methodical thought-pattern in which emotions were not allowed.

She had freaked out when Tsunade had informed her that one of the missions she had been assigned was going to be monitored to determine if she was eligible enter the jounin exams. She had even been given the heads up. Usually people the council members wanted to try out for jounin weren't even told and only notified after the mission if they were worthy or not. She had freaked out and almost stuffed up the mission. Fortunately for her, her stuff-up had lead to a massive truth being uncovered and as a result of that she had been celebrated for her amazing ability to see through deception and flexibility. She hadn't bothered to tell them it had all been a huge coincidence and she had been allowed to enter the exams, which she passed first time round.

She had completely freaked out when she had first seen Sasuke again after five years those short few weeks ago. But that freaking out had been replaced by _"Oh my god, I have to get him back!"_

But all those occurrences of freaking out did not even begin to compare to this one, because at that moment she found herself in the most unexpected and compromising of positions.

She was sleeping on Sasuke. Well, more like they were sleeping together. It would have just been 'she was sleeping on Sasuke' if he had kept his hands to himself, but his right arm was around her waist, effectively pulling her half on top of him and his left hand was entwined with her right hand that was resting on his bare chest. His head was back against the pillow, but tilted towards her. Her head was currently resting on his chest.

She could feel his bare skin under her cheek and the way his chest rose and fell as he inhaled and exhaled. She could feel the way her breasts were squashed against his stomach. She could feel his light breath graze the top of her hair. She could feel the way his arm was wrapped possessively around her waist, as if never wanting to let her go.

And all she could do was stare and the way his long, pale fingers were laced together with hers. It was almost casual, yet so strangely intimate and it twisted her heart in ways that weren't natural, ways it hadn't been twisted since she was twelve.

And that was what freaked her out more than anything else.

She gritted her teeth and tried to push down the panic that was started to rise in her chest, mingled with the frightening stabs of desire.

"_You're still in love with him."_

She shut her eyes against the sight of her hand in Sasuke's and tried to will Tura's words out of her head, but they just wouldn't go.

_I'm_ not_ in love with him!_

**Yeah, that's why you couldn't stop staring at your hand in his. That's why you're getting turned on by the feel of his skin on yours. That's why you haven't moved yet. That's why you don't want to.**

She refused to believe it.

_No, I just think he's gorgeous and that's the end of it._

**That's bull and you know it!**

She didn't love him. She couldn't. Not after what he'd done last time and especially not now. Hadn't she told him he could leave again? Hadn't she promised that she would let him go? If she fell in love with him again she'd just get hurt like she did the first time. She had no desire to go through that hell again.

And right now she was well on her way down.

**What are you thinking? You never stopped loving him.**

_Yes, I did and I don't plan on going through the pain he caused me once before. I'll just have to try and keep things purely platonic. _

**This is anything but platonic!**

_I sleep with Naruto all the time and that's nothing more!_

**It's different with Sasuke. It always has been.**

_Well, this is the last time…and he probably doesn't even know he's doing what he's doing._

She'd allow herself this rare indulgence just this one time and that was it. Then she would see Sasuke the way she saw Naruto and nothing more.

But for now she would relish the feel of his arm around her and the way his skin felt under her touch and let herself believe it meant so much more than it did.

000

Naruto could tell it was going to be a crap day as soon as he opened his eyes. Everything was already going wrong within the first few seconds.

The sun was too bright and pierced his eyes so now every time he shut his them all he saw was two bright spots. He hated when that happened.

His back hurt. He felt like a freaking old man. The couch was way too small and damn near as uncomfortable as the floor (but not quite). His back had been in an awkward position all night.

He couldn't feel his legs. If he slept curled up on his side, his legs got cramped. If he stretched out, his legs were propped up against the armrest of the couch and got cramped. If he put his knees up, his legs got cramped. No matter what he did, his legs got cramped. So they were now cramped.

He was cold. The night before had been particularly cold but he had assured Tura that his body temperature was warm enough due to the Kyuubi, so he didn't need as many blankets as the others, so he had only had one flimsy one. Damn, was he ever regretting that decision. It couldn't have been later than five in the morning. Damn cold.

Then just as the bright spots had disappeared from behind his eyes, Tura came in and made him get up, going on about something to do with some damn bird and damn message or some crap. He was too tired to pay much attention to what she was saying.

He grumbled when Tura told him to wake up Sasuke and Sakura. If anyone would have had a worse night than him, it would be them. Last time they'd slept in the same room they had looked like hell the next day and hadn't stopped yawning. No doubt it'd be the same today.

But as Naruto trudged into the separate room, he was wholly unprepared for the sight that affronted his disbelieving eyes.

Now he was a generally optimistic person, always seeing the glass half-full and all that. He could take bright spots, sore back, cramped legs, a little cold and an early morning…but there were some things that just took the wind right out of him.

The sight of Sasuke and Sakura sleeping together was one of them.

He was too shocked to do anything but stare and gape. It wasn't that they were just sleeping in the same bed, but that they were sleeping_ on_ each other, intertwined and everything. Sasuke was sort of on his side. One arm was around Sakura's waist, holding her to him and the other was weaved with her hand that was on his chest. Sakura was pressed up against his side and her head was on his chest. The blanket was covering the rest.

He had always pinned Sasuke to be a sleeper that like his space, like Sakura. But he figured Sasuke was only like that because he was such a stuck-up bastard. Sakura was like that because she was a light sleeper and anything disturbed her. But obviously their position hadn't bothered either of them.

And he had _never_ thought _Sasuke_ would cuddle…_ever_. Not just with Sakura; with anyone in general. Especially not with Sakura, though. Sakura was…Sakura. She wasn't just some random girl he could brush off the next day. She was always there, always around, always a reminder.

It didn't quite surprise him that Sakura had cuddled up to Sasuke in her sleep. He suspected she still harboured some feelings for the cold-hearted bastard, but he'd never expected this of Sasuke. He couldn't believe that Sasuke would ever allow himself to get into a position so vulnerable, asleep or not. And that wasn't just vulnerable physically…

Something was definitely going on here and he wasn't sure he liked it.

That bastard was not good for Sakura and he didn't want her getting all hung up over him again because he'd just do what he did last time - break her heart. He couldn't let Sasuke do that again. He wouldn't. He didn't know if Sakura would be able to stand it a second time.

"_What_ the _hell_ is _this_?" he shouted in disgust, knowing it would wake them up and immediately make them aware of their position...if they weren't already aware of it, that is.

As they slowly opened their eyes and looked around, Naruto made sure he read their expressions carefully.

Sakura had always been easy to read, even for someone like him who wasn't that good at crap like that. She only became unreadable when she was fighting or training. She didn't look surprised at their position, but embarrassed rather. So that meant she'd already known that they had been sleeping like that. Interesting.

Sasuke was virtually impossible to read, period. He kept such a tight rein on his emotions at all times, even when he had been caught unawares, like now. But before he blanked out his expression like he normally did, Naruto caught a flash of a different emotion that looked suspiciously like guilt. So…he had known about it too, huh? No doubt he probably felt guilty for not pushing Sakura away when it had come to his attention.

Yes, something was _definitely_ going on and he _really_ didn't like it.

000

To say things were awkward was a huge understatement. It was like saying Tsunade's breasts weren't that big.

And what was worse is that Sakura knew she was blushing, a constant reminder to the table's occupants of what had transpired that morning.

The cursed blush had started as soon as Naruto and tactfully pointed out that she and Sasuke were cuddling. There was no other way to put it because that _was_ what they had been doing, strangely enough.

Sakura had blinked rapidly and looked up to see Sasuke's emotionless eyes gazing back at her. Well, they hadn't been entirely emotionless. He looked pissed off, like he hadn't been reciprocating, whether he was aware of it or not.

Then to make it even worse (for her) he had droned out, "Sakura, get off my arm. I can't feel it." Like he had been implying she was unbearably heavy or something. Like it was _her_ fault his arm had been around her in the first place (she didn't think she could have unconsciously placed it there).

At that point Sakura had promptly fallen out of the bed in an ungraceful heap and wondered what the hell she had done to deserve this humiliation as Tura and Naruto stared on. She had felt even more pissed off when Sasuke just brushed it off like it was a non-matter, calmly put a shirt on and walked into the kitchen. The only indication that he cared was that he seemed to be avoiding her gaze constantly.

But that was okay because she was avoiding his. She just wished something would come up to take everyone's minds off how she and Sasuke had been sleeping, something to fill the horribly awkward silence.

"So I received a message about Sally."

Perfect.

"Oh?" Sakura replied eagerly, jumping at the chance for the change of thought pattern.

Tura nodded. "One of my informants sent word that he believes Sally is located up north in Mist country."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up. "Mist? What the hell is he doing there?"

Tura shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine…but Mist is fairly close to Oto. Maybe it is a location of convenience, in case Orochimaru wanted him for anything."

It sounded logical, but it didn't really matter why he was there - they just needed to find him, question him, and possibly beat the crap out of him. She was particularly partial to the latter notion.

"Do you have his exact location?" she questioned.

"It's a small, insignificant traveller's village about two days outside of the Hidden Village of the Clouds called Urage."

Sakura bit her lip. That _did_ sound insignificant. And a traveller's village was a perfect place to lay low and keep an eye out for possible recruits at the same time.

"When do we leave?" she asked, looking at the boys.

"Immediately," Sasuke replied.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "As soon as we gather provisions and prepare, he means."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "I do not need you to speak for me, dobe."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. _Is it just me, or is Sasuke a little grumpier that usual this morning?_

**It ain't just you, honey.**

Naruto glared. "Maybe I wouldn't if you gave more than one-word answers!"

Sasuke looked away, as if suddenly disinterested in that line of conversation. "I cannot help it if you don't possess enough of a brain to understand me."

Naruto's glare didn't give up. "Maybe it would be easier for you to talk if I pulled that stick out of your ass!"

"Why don't you just stick _this_ up _your_ ass instead?" Sasuke replied smoothly as he flipped Naruto off.

When Naruto growled and stood up at the table with the promise of pain written all over his face, Sakura decided it was time to step in.

"Children, please! This is neither the time nor the place! We have to work together now more than ever, so save your male domination crap for some other time, okay?"

Naruto sat back down, muttering incoherently, while Sasuke just raised an eyebrow at her tone, like he was saying, _"You_ dare_ patronize _me_?"_

_Yes, I dare, you self-serving son of a bitch!_

Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh. He wasn't _entirely_ self-serving and his past hadn't really left much room for basic human development. Spending five years with a psychopath like Orochimaru couldn't have helped matters either.

She knew Sasuke and Naruto had never exactly seen eye to eye, but if this was how they were going to carry on, she didn't know how the hell they were going to do this.

000

Naruto yawned as he jumped from tree branch to tree branch, hardly paying attention to where his feet were being placed; hardly needing to. Travelling via treetop was like a second nature to him.

He was following Sakura and Sasuke to wherever the hell they were going. He couldn't remember. He vaguely remembered someone mentioning something about some insignificant village or whatever. He couldn't really remember - he'd been too busy glaring at Sasuke.

_The bastard._

He was still stewing over the way he and Sakura had woken up that morning. Sakura had had the grace to look flustered, but Sasuke had just acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. But Naruto wasn't fooled by that cover act because he'd always been able to see through that bastard's crap.

Something was happening between Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto may not be the most observant person, but he hadn't missed the way Sasuke watched Sakura when he thought no one was looking. He hadn't missed the way Sakura always looked happier when Sasuke was around, even if he was a complete bastard to her. And then there was this morning to consider…

Naruto was jealous. He knew he was. He knew it was because Sakura and Sasuke only seemed to need each other, even if they'd never admit it to anyone, or themselves. Where did Naruto come into it? What purpose did he have? He'd only ever lived to be recognized, to be loved, and now he was finding himself thrust on the sidelines. He knew he should hope that Sakura would be happy with Sasuke and that Sasuke would realize how much he needed Sakura before he went off again, but he couldn't help but wish that he had a place in the story as well.

This team was his life. It was all he had. Sure, he had many other friends now…but Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi - they were the original. They could never be replaced in his heart. That was why he'd do whatever it took to make Sasuke stay. It wasn't right without him.

But it seemed he didn't have to worry too much about whatever was going on between Sasuke and Sakura because they were being as cold to each other as possible. When Sakura spoke she always addressed Naruto, never looking at Sasuke. If Sasuke ever spoke (it was a rare occurrence), he'd only speak about their mission, nothing else. And he'd always direct his words to Naruto as well.

So now he was torn between wanting his friends to be happy together and wanting his friends to only be happy with him. It wasn't that he didn't want their happiness - he wanted that more than being Hokage - but he just didn't want to be left out of the picture. He just wanted to be needed. That was what he lived for, that was why he wanted to become the Hokage. He'd be recognized and everyone in Konoha would need him then.

And if Sasuke and Sakura and Sakura had Sasuke, what need would they have for him?

But this avoiding thing seriously wasn't working. They both kept directing their comments to him and he didn't know a damn thing. He didn't get the whole preoccupation with all that planning either. It was always plan this, plan that. At the rate they were going they'd be planning trips to the toilet, and Naruto treasured his freedom to pee whenever he damn well wanted to.

It was probably some stress-relief thing for them, he reckoned. If they were planning then they weren't thinking about all the crap between them. But if this kept going, he was seriously going to have to do something. Why couldn't they just _do it_ instead of _talking_ about doing it?

Wait, okay, that sounded wrong. He didn't mean _do it_, do it. He meant…

_Ah, whatever! That's just gross!_

But seriously, they had spent about two hours at Tura's house just talking about what they were going to do. Well, Sakura talked and Sasuke had either nodded, shook his head, or made some monosyllable blunt suggestion. Naruto, in the meantime, had actually done something useful like getting their stuff together and having a shower and all that.

Then it had taken another hour (at least that's what it felt like) to say goodbye to Tura and Myra. Sakura had almost cried, Tura had tried not to cry, Myra had cried (mainly because she had to say goodbye to Sasuke), he had rolled his eyes, and Sasuke had looked impatient. The only good thing about that had been when Tura had hugged Sasuke goodbye. Naruto had almost peed himself laughing at the expression on Sasuke's face. Now _that_ had been constipated!

Then came that whole emotion crap thing that girls did. The 'I'm going to miss you so much' and 'you have to come and see us again' (yeah, like he wanted to visit _that_ hole again) and 'No, _you_ have to come see _us_!' and all that.

But it had gotten kinda cool when Tura had said she was considering moving to Konoha because they had shown her that she couldn't live in fear of what had happened to her husband there and that she should let Myra do what she really wanted instead of holing her up in this miniscule village.

It always made him feel good when other people were happy.

That probably meant he should be happy for Sasuke and Sakura if they ever sorted out the crap between them.

_Argh, I'm so confused! _

"Naruto, let's stop for dinner, okay?"

Naruto snapped out of his conflicting thoughts. "Uh…okay," he replied as he stopped on the tree behind Sakura.

A couple of trees ahead, Sasuke had stopped to glare at them. "We're not stopping."

Naruto saw Sakura's eyes flash.

_Ah, crap, not again! _And she had been telling _him_ off for acting childish!

"I'm sorry; I don't recall anyone making you the boss!" She didn't even look at him.

Naruto could feel the waves of animosity radiating off Sasuke from even this distance. "I don't recall anyone making you the boss either."

Sakura jaw ticked as she turned around to fix him with one of her scariest glares. "I don't care. We're stopping to eat."

"We're almost there. There would be no point in stopping now," Sasuke replied in a bored monotone that just made Sakura even angrier.

"Well, look here, buster! I-"

"_Shut up_!"

Both Sakura and Sasuke turned surprised stares at Naruto who had his fists clenched and jaw tight.

"Just shut up! Both of you! I'm freaking sick of this! Like Sakura said before, how the hell are we going to do this if we can't get along!" He relaxed his fists as he looked at Sakura. "Look, I know Sasuke's an asshole, but it was you who wanted to work with him in the first place." Sakura looked at her feet in what was hopefully guilt as he looked at Sasuke. "And I know you don't want to be here with us, but for now you are, so stop being a freaking dickhead and put up with it."

Naruto inhaled deeply to calm himself before he continued. "Now, I'm going to go over there," he pointed randomly to his left, "until you two sort out your crap and stop acting like an old married couple, okay?"

Without another word, he bounded off into the horizon and hoped they'd work things out because if not, the next couple of weeks were going to be hell on earth.

000

Sasuke stared after Naruto in disbelief. He never thought he'd see the day when Naruto wasn't a complete idiot.

But that didn't mean he had to listen to him.

He turned to jump away, but he didn't get very far.

"Sasuke, wait!"

Sasuke clenched his teeth. Sakura was the reason he was in this mess in the first place. If only he hadn't accepted her offer to work together. If only he had pushed her off this morning…

"What?" He had no time for this.

"I'm sorry."

He thought he'd fall off the branch he was standing on because of the way those two words made him feel. A heady mix of guilt and anger poured over him in bucket loads. He hated this effect she had on him. She made him _feel_.

"What for?" he asked through clenched teeth, still not facing her; still not being able to.

He heard land on the branch next to him and wished she'd stayed where she was before. "I…I'm sorry for avoiding you and-"

Sasuke twirled to face her, eyes red. "Stop! Just stop, okay?" He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, willing them to return to their normal colour, trying to regain control. His eyes opened to see Sakura's wounded face, but he refused to feel sorry. "I don't need this. All I want to do is find my brother and kill him. I don't need all this emotional crap and I certainly don't need _you_."

To his surprise, Sakura didn't break down and cry at his words, though he knew she was close to it.

"I know," she replied evenly. "I know that once this is over you're going to leave us forever. I know we've never meant as much to you as you've meant to us. That's okay. I know that now."

He felt like he should say something to appease her, to make her feel better, even though he knew he wouldn't. But then suddenly the words were just coming out of his mouth.

"I shouldn't mean anything to you. I never wanted to."

Sakura smiled sadly as she hugged herself. "I know. But you _do_ mean something to me…and to Naruto. No matter what happens, we'll never stop caring for you."

Sasuke regarded her with cold eyes. "Well, you should try to stop because after we're done here I'm never coming back."

"I know that, but do you really have to be so cold? If these are the last days we're going to be together, couldn't you at least try?"

He could see the tears in her eyes and hear them in her voice, but she never let them come out.

"Why should I try? How does it benefit me?" Honestly, he was just scared - scared that if he let them in he'd never get them out and_ that_ he really didn't need. Better for them to just think he didn't give a rat's ass about them and leave him alone.

"It doesn't benefit you, but haven't you ever tried doing something for someone else before?" she replied steadily as she hugged herself tighter, like she was trying to warm herself from the inside out.

"Why should I when it means nothing to me? And wouldn't I just being lying if I pretended you mean anything to me? Is that what you want me to do?"

Sakura bit her lip and looked away. "No, I guess not." She sighed and he wondered what she was thinking. He hated not knowing and he hated that he hated it. "It's probably for the best anyway."

His heart clenched strangely at her words. "Yes, it is."

She smiled at him, but it wasn't one of her real ones. He hated these fake ones, so strained and strung out. "Well, we can try and get along at least, right? All of us. We won't get much done if we keep fighting like this. And think about it, if we work together the sooner we get this done and the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can get rid of us!"

He hated the fake brightness of her voice and those sad undertones she tried so hard to hide. He wished she just wouldn't care at all so he wouldn't have to feel the guilt because she did.

"…Yeah."

"So this is sorted! Great! Let's go find Naruto!"

He would have almost believed her fake sincerity paired with her fake smile if it had not been for the tightening of her arms around her body.

"Sakura…"

When she turned around, he was less than two feet from her. He didn't know why he moved closer to her. Maybe it was because if he was closer to her, she would be able to see how serious he was.

But that was probably just an excuse for his need to be near her.

"Uh…yes, Sasuke?" Her voice had jumped an octave in her surprise. She tripped over her feet and fell back against the tree trunk behind her.

He would have found her clumsiness amusing if it hadn't been so damn adorable.

He ran a hand through his dark hair as he struggled to find the right words to say. He wanted to push her away and pull her close at the same time. He knew which one he should do, but was unwillingly to do it.

"Why won't you give up?" he asked as his eyes bore into hers. He couldn't understand how they'd continually care for him after he'd pushed them away again and again.

A small smile graced Sakura's lips, It wasn't a proper one, but it wasn't fake and that was enough for now.

"Because…you're Sasuke." The look on her face almost broke him. "There's no other Sasuke but you."

Sasuke swore he could feel something breaking inside him. He didn't know if it was his resolve…or something else. Without even realizing it, he took at step towards her and watched as his hand reached out to touch her as she looked at him with open warmth she shouldn't feel.

_No, I can't! Don't do it!_

He clenched his fist midair and put it on the trunk beside Sakura's head. He looked into her eyes, willing her to understand his turmoil. "I once said that our paths were taking us in different directions. They've merged for now, but soon enough they're going split again and I can't take you with me. I'm not just saying this for me, but for you as well. Give up. It's the only way to save yourself from being hurt again because I'm _not_ going to change my mind."

The sad smile returned as she looked up at him. "I _do_ understand and I _have_ given up on you, remember? After this, we're leaving you alone, remember?"

He did remember, but it didn't make him feel as free as he thought it would. "I remember. It's for your own good."

And he truly did believe that, but the selfish part of him wanted her to never give up. Part of him wanted to know that there were still people around who actually cared about what happened to him…because other than those two (and possibly Kakashi), there was no one. Their concern was the only thing that made him feel remotely human…but it wasn't what he needed. Not at all.

Sakura's gaze turned speculative as she reached up and touched his face with her small, slender fingers. Sasuke resisted the urge to close his eyes and surrender himself to the feelings her action caused…feelings she shouldn't be able to provoke.

And he knew he should remove her hand and push her away, but yet again, he found he couldn't.

She smiled at him. It was sad again. He hated these sad smiles. Back then he had been able to make her smile with a simple look. Now it seemed he only made her sad.

"Then if you're leaving and we're letting you leave, don't you understand why I would want to treasure the last days I have with you? Can you really fault me for that?"

He didn't want to, but he could. "That's stupid and pointless."

She removed her hand from his face and he missed the contact immediately. "Not everything in life has to have a reason, Sasuke. Haven't you ever done anything just because you wanted to?"

"Like dance in the rain?" He didn't know why he said that, but he remembered watching Sakura do that and wondering what it would feel like to do something as pointless as dance in the rain just because he could, because he wanted to.

Sakura smiled and he felt elated that he had made her happy for once, though he shouldn't have felt a thing. He should have scorned her for it, but it seemed he never did what he should when it came to her anymore.

"Yes, just like that!"

It was time to end this conversation before it drifted into uncharted territory he had no desire to explore. "No and I don't plan to."

Her smile faded. "Oh, okay."

Sasuke stepped back and ran his hand through his hair again. Damn it, this wasn't what he wanted! It was what he should've wanted, but he just…

"Sakura, I…I'll cooperate, okay? Just don't blame me if you get hurt again."

Sakura pushed herself off the tree trunk. "I won't." And then she disappeared before him in a cloud of sakura blossoms, leaving him with a strangely hollow feeling in his chest.

000

Sakura didn't know where she was going. Tears were blinding her vision and her chest hurt so much she wished it would just explode and be done with it.

It had happened again. She had let herself get hurt by Sasuke. And it wasn't even his fault this time. Not really. She had put herself in this position. She was so stupid.

And she needed Naruto.

"Naruto?" she called out weakly. "Naruto!"

Naruto appeared before her in the midst of smoke, his eyes alarmed. "What is it, Sakura?"

She practically threw herself in his arms and let the tears she had refused to escape with Sasuke fall freely. Naruto immediately wrapped his strong arms around her.

"It went that bad, huh?"

Sakura laughed dryly but her tears choked her up and she ended up sounding like she was being strangled. "You could say that."

She felt Naruto tense against her. "What did he do?" His voice was ice with the promise of pain.

Sakura shook her head against his chest. "He didn't do anything. It's what he's _going_ to do."

"What, leave?"

"Yes," her voice broke as the tears started falling again.

"But I thought you were letting him leave?"

"I know, but that's not all." She took a deep breath and look him in the eyes. "I love him, Naruto. I freaking _love_ him and I don't want to! I made that stupid promise thinking it was all good but no, I just had to go and fall in love with him again!"

Naruto chuckled. She could feel his chest rumble against her.

She narrowed her eyes and pulled back from the circle of his arms. "It's not funny, idiot!"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm not laughing at that, Sakura. It's just that you never stopped loving him. You just thought you did because you didn't want to love him anymore."

Sakura frowned. Why did everyone keep saying that? She wiped at her tears. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is that I'm an idiot! I should have never tried to look for him again! If I hadn't, I wouldn't have fallen in love with him again…or realized I still loved him or _whatever_ and I would have lived the rest of my life in ignorant bliss, perhaps found a husband, have a kid or two. But now my life is ruined forever, all because I happened to see him again!"

Naruto put his hands on her shoulders, causing her to look up at him again. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

Sakura shrugged his hands off. "Of course I don't! I'm thrilled that he's here! I'm in love with him, remember! I just…I just don't want to watch him walk away again."

The tears started falling again of their own will and she struggled to wipe them away. They just kept falling.

Without speaking another word, Naruto pulled her into his arms again. She immediately felt better. Even if Sasuke left and she never saw him again, Naruto was there. Naruto was constant. She'd survive, even if she wouldn't be happy.

As she rested her head against his chest she fought to keep the tears at bay. She had to be strong.

"It's okay to cry, Sakura. You don't have to bother with appearances with me."

That did it. The faucet was turned on and she had no intention of turning off anytime soon. She did need to get this off her chest and if there was one person she would cry in front of, it was Naruto. He'd been there through everything. He knew her more than anyone else.

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto."

"Sorry for what?"

"For always dumping my problems on you. It's just that…I need you. I mean, don't you ever need anything too?"

His arms tightened around her. "I need you to need me."

Sakura smiled up at him. "Well, in that case, I'm never going to stop needing you! I'll still need you when I'm an old, wrinkled woman!"

Naruto laughed; his chest rumbling against her. She loved how safe she felt with him. She loved how he always made her smile, no matter what. And she knew that no matter what happened with Sasuke, she would be okay if Naruto was there.

"I don't think you're going to get old and wrinkled, Sakura. You'll probably use granny Tsunade's jutsu to stay perfect, just like you are now."

Sakura grinned. "Assuming I live that long."

Naruto scowled. "Of course you'll live that long! I'm around to protect you, aren't I? You'll never die when I'm around!"

"And what about you? Who's going to protect you?"

Naruto grinned at her. "You know I can take care of myself, Sakura! And besides, when I'm Hokage, I'll be untouchable!"

Sakura laughed as she pulled out of his arms, her worries forgotten. "I can't wait until you're Hokage! I'll be able to get away with everything!"

Naruto scowled again. "And what makes you think that?"

She laughed. "Come on, Naruto? Do you really think you could tell me off?"

Naruto looked at her for a moment before laughing loudly and shaking his head. "No, because you'd probably smack me into the next village if I did!"

"Damn straight!" Sakura exclaimed before her stomach grumbled loudly.

Naruto laughed. "Hungry?"

Sakura placed a hand on her stomach and looked up at him sheepishly. "Starved."

000

Sasuke glared at the fire as Sakura and Naruto laughed a few meters to his right. They were leaning against each other as they ate, laughing at something he didn't care about.

To put it plainly, he was in a shitty mood.

He shouldn't be pissed off, but he was. He was _really_ pissed off.

It had started when he had seen Naruto consoling Sakura earlier. After their conversation he had followed her from a distance, just to see if she would be okay (which was stupid in and of itself because he shouldn't have cared). She had been running through the trees until she had stopped suddenly and called for Naruto. Naruto had come to her straight away. Sakura had thrown herself in his arms and they had stayed that way more or less until she had obviously cheered up.

That sight had annoyed him in numerous ways. First he had felt guilty because she was obviously in that state because of him. He hadn't thought he'd hurt her that much, but apparently he'd been wrong.

Then he had been annoyed because of the way Naruto could comfort her, because of the way she immediately went to him. A traitorous part of him wanted to be the one she came to, the one she needed the most. And he knew that if he'd stuck around all those years instead of going to Oto, he could have been that person for her. But it was pointless thinking about what could have been because even if he could go back, he would have done exactly the same thing.

Now he was pissed off for a similar reason that he was now becoming disturbingly familiar with. Sakura and Naruto were in their own little world, probably reminiscing about some mission they had completed together or discussing something about their life in Konoha that he knew nothing about. It was nothing he could relate to so he found himself on the outside yet again.

What was worse was that he had told Sakura that he wanted this. She was just doing what she thought he wanted.

It was what he wanted.

_Yeah, right._

"I can't believe you kissed him, Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed loudly.

Sasuke's head snapped to the side. _What?_

Sakura smacked his arm lightly. "Shut up, Naruto! It's just Lee!"

Sasuke's eyes bulged. _She kissed _Lee_?_

Naruto groaned loudly. "Exactly! It's Lee! I can't believe you kissed Bushy-brows!

Sakura scowled at him. "Stop calling him that!"

Naruto groaned even louder and put his hands in his head. "Now you're defending him! Why haven't I heard about this before?"

Sakura shrugged and looked at the fire. "You never asked."

Naruto shook his head. "God help me!" He froze suddenly and looked at Sakura in horror. "Who else have you kissed that I don't know about?"

"Well, there was Neji and Kiba..."

"_WHAT!_" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke froze. Not only had Sakura kissed Lee, she had kissed the Hyuga and that dog kid? That was just…wrong. The thought that Sakura had kissed anyone didn't sit well with him. He knew it was stupid, but the image he'd had of Sakura in his head was of that twelve-year-old lovesick girl who wouldn't dream of kissing anyone but him. It seemed she had gotten over that childish notion quickly enough. She'd been busy.

He clenched his fist at the thought.

"_WHEN THE HELL WAS THIS_?" Naruto continued in decibels not fit for human ears.

Sakura laughed sheepishly. "Calm down, Naruto! It didn't mean anything!"

"Answer me," Naruto replied, ice in his voice.

"Well, um, it was when you were away on a mission one time. It was Ino's sixteenth birthday and she threw a huge party. You know how she is. So anyway, there was lots of sake involved."

"You got _drunk_?" Naruto all but shouted. Sasuke couldn't conceal his own surprise.

Sakura scowled at him. "If you want to hear the story, shut up and let me continue!" Her pleasant expression returned before she continued. "I wasn't drunk, I was just…a little intoxicated."

"You were _drunk_?" Naruto yelled.

Sakura hit him over the head. "I told you, I wasn't drunk! There's a difference, idiot!" She shook her head. "_Anyway_, pretty much everyone was a little intoxicated. Some, like Ino, were downright pissed. She had the brilliant idea to play spin the bottle.

Naruto's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Spin the bottle? You played spin the bottle without me?"

"You were away! Not my fault! But yeah, that's how I kissed Lee and Neji. It was only three seconds each. No big deal." She shrugged nonchalantly to prove her point.

"Wait, wait. What about dog-breath? You said you kissed him, right?"

Sakura blushed so ferociously Sasuke could see it through the glow of the fire. "Oh, well…that was Seven Minutes in Heaven. And he doesn't have dog breath. I should know."

As Naruto tried to recover from that blow, Sasuke wondered what Seven Minutes in Heaven was. He hadn't exactly had a normal childhood. When he was in Konoha he had never bothered himself with learning about those trivial things and such meaningless entertainment was never mentioned in Oto.

But judging by Naruto's reaction, it wasn't good.

"You mean to say you spent _seven minutes_ in a closet making out with _Kiba_?"

Sasuke had to forcibly root himself to the spot as intense feelings of unplaced hatred rolled over him in waves. He suddenly had an intense disliking of dogs.

Sakura tried to appear casual, but Sasuke could tell she was flustered. "More or less."

Naruto's eyes almost popped out of his head. "What do you mean by that - more or less _clothing_?"

Sakura looked straight ahead at the fire as a small grin appeared on her lips. "Well, _I_ kept _my_ shirt on, if that's what you mean."

"_WHAT!"_

Sakura giggled. "Well, I did say some people were completely pissed."

Sasuke felt strangely possessive of the pink-haired kunoichi at that moment. He could relate to Naruto's anger. The thought that anyone had been touching _his_ Sakura was just unacceptable and the fact that he was thinking that way was even more unacceptable. But he couldn't help it.

"Geez, Naruto! You act like you thought you're the only person I've kissed!"

_What!_

It was only when Naruto and Sakura turned to look at him that he realized he'd said that out loud.

_Shit._

Well, now that they were aware of his interest, he might as well get some answers.

"You've kissed Naruto?" he asked in disbelief and not a little bit of disgust – and it _was_ disgusting, even if that weren't the main feeling behind his words.

"Yeah, she has. Got a problem with that, bastard?" Naruto replied smugly.

Sasuke felt like punching him in the face.

"No. I just thought Sakura had better taste. I guess her standards have dropped."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Sakura and Naruto yelled simultaneously.

Sasuke smirked. They knew what he meant.

Naruto clenched his jaw and glare as though his life depended on it while Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"I'll have you know that kissing Naruto wasn't bad at all. He's a great kisser!"

"I am?"

"He is?"

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Yes. And I should know. We've kissed, what, five times or something?"

Sasuke gaped. _Five times!_

Naruto looked at Sakura with a confused expression. "Five times? I thought it was more than that."

Sasuke swallowed deeply. _More?_

Sakura shook her head. "No, no. I'm pretty sure it was five. Let me think." She bit her lip and looked off into the distance.

"The first time was when Ino dared you," Naruto supplied.

"No, that wasn't the first time. The first time was the first time I saw you after you got back from training with Jiraiya. I was so excited that I kissed you, albeit quickly, and didn't notice until much, much later. You never really mentioned it."

"Oh yeah, that's right. So the time Ino dared you was second."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. And then there was that time on Valentine's Day and I felt lonely so you kissed me."

Naruto scowled. "Yeah, and you punched me into a wall."

Sakura scowled back. "You kissed me without permission!"

"You did too that time Ino dared you! You just came up to me and kissed in me at Ichiraku!"

Sakura flicked her hair out of her eyes. "That was different."

"I was only trying to help you!"

Sakura grinned evilly. "Well, you did help me. I forgot how lonely I was because I was too busy being angry at you."

Naruto pouted. "What_ever_. So that was the third time?"

"Yep. The fourth was on that mission."

Naruto grinned to himself. "Oh, yeah, I remember that! How could I forget_ that_ mission, Sakura?"

Sakura smacked his head. "Stop it!"

Naruto rubbed his head. "Stop what?"

"Stop thinking about it! You promised you'd forget about it!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Please! No guy could forget that!" He turned to Sasuke with an excited smile on his face. "Get this…"

"Naruto, shut up!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What do you have hide, Sakura?" he asked coldly.

Sakura flushed. "Nothing!"

Sasuke smirked. "Then you shouldn't have problem with Naruto telling me."

Sakura opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't come up with anything, so just crossed her arms and looked away.

Sasuke's smirk grew.

"Okay, so anyway!" Naruto continued. "We had this mission where we had to infiltrate this brothel coz' we had to assassinate one of their regular customers who was a complete sicko, right?" Naruto grinned. "So Sakura had to pose as a whore, right? You should have seen her! She was wearing this-"

"Naruto, please!" Sakura yelled in horror.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. What was she trying to cover?

"Okay, so it doesn't really matter what she was wearing. But I will tell you that it was sexy." Sakura groaned in her hands before Naruto continued, "So yeah, she's a fake prostitute. I was posing as a customer and I had to watch out for the dude to come in so we could kill him. When I was pretending to flirt with these other chicks, I was really also listening to the dude talk with the mistress of the brothel. Once I heard which chick he wanted and in what room, I told Sakura over the intercom so she went in the room and tied up the chick. That meant when the dude went to bone this chick, he got Sakura instead. She just had poison on her lips so she kissed the guy and he died straight off the bat."

Sasuke tried not to look surprised at the thought that Sakura had done those sorts of missions and dressed up like a whore. She must have grown a lot in order to take on those sorts of unpleasant missions.

"All was going good and well until it came to the escape. I was supposed to pay for a whore and go and get her and we'd escape and all that. So I walked up to the room she was in and we were walking down one of the deserted corridors. We couldn't go out of the window, you see, coz they don't have any. We'd done some research on the brothel earlier, you see, and they don't have windows coz they don't want their whores to try and escape. Anyway, not important. So Sakura said the coast was clear, coz she can sense chakra signatures – even inactive ones, which is a pretty cool trick. But as we were walking down this dark hallway, we heard voices. She hadn't sent these presences coz they were shinobi and were masking them, which is also a pretty cool trick. We flattened against the wall and listened to their conversation as they came closer. Apparently the mistress of the brothel hired them to guard the brothel that night and look out for assassins coz she had heard that the dude we killed had shinobi after them so she wanted to take precautions."

Naruto cleared his throat. "They were saying they were going to go check on the dude Sakura had just killed. That meant they were coming our way. So, get this…" A grin appeared on Naruto's face. "Sakura pulled me against her, put her leg around my hips, put my _hand_ on her _ass_, put her hands in my hair and started full on making out with me! And keep in mind that she was only wearing skimpy lingerie!"

Sasuke's mind went blank. But Naruto wasn't finished yet.

"So there we were, making out like there was no tomorrow, when the dudes see us. They pretend they were totally disgusted, which they so were not, and tell us to get a room. So Sakura mumbles an apology and drags me into an unoccupied room. When we get in the she pushes me on the bed and gets on top of me. I, of course, took all this in stride-"

Sakura scoffed loudly. "Please! You were freaking out! You had no idea what to do!"

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Okay, so I was a little unprepared and I had no idea what she was doing. I mean, this was Sakura on top of me in nothing but lingerie! I never thought I'd be in that position in my life!"

"And you never will be again," Sakura supplied.

"Yeah, but don't think I'll ever forget it!" Naruto replied with a triumphant grin. "So yeah, we were like that for a few minutes, you know, until the coast was clear. Then we got the hell out of there before they discovered the body and started looking around."

Sasuke just stared into the darkness beyond the light of the fire. The thought of Sakura going that far with Naruto, mission or not, made him so amazingly _pissed_ he had to concentrate just to breathe. It was obvious that Naruto had gotten worked up by it, but had Sakura? What had Sakura felt as they had been intimate in that manner for the sake of cover? And what had she felt when she had spent seven minutes with Kiba? Seven minutes was a _hell_ of a long time!

_I don't care. I __don't__ care._

Naruto shrugged. "So yeah, that was the fourth time."

"Thanks for that, Naruto," Sakura replied through gritted teeth.

"What was the next time, again? I can't remember," Naruto said.

Sakura seemed to forget her embarrassment immediately and she bit her lip. "Um…it must have been that time when the guys were teasing you about not being able to get any so you came to me to convince me to kiss you in front of them to get them off your back. And of course I did because I'm such a good friend."

"Damn straight! They totally didn't doubt my ability to get chicks after that!" Naruto replied proudly.

Sakura snickered. "Have you even kissed anyone other than me, you idiot?"

Naruto pouted. "That's beside the point."

Sakura laughed. "Sure it is."

Quite frankly, Sasuke couldn't care less about Naruto's sex life, or lack of it. He was still pissed off at the fact that Sakura had kissed Naruto…and at how many times she'd kissed him. He was ready to break Naruto's legs.

"So it _was_ five times, huh?" Naruto mused.

Sakura sneered. "I told you I was right!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, like it really matters." He turned to Sasuke with a sly grin on his face. "So Sasuke, have you ever been kissed?"

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Like it mattered. But he had a feeling that if he didn't tell Naruto, he would never shut up about it. So he replied with, "Yeah, so what?"

Naruto looked disappointed. "Oh. I thought there wouldn't be any of that going on in Oto."

"There wasn't. It was only during missions, when I had no other options." He couldn't really remember much about those times. Kissing had exactly been unpleasant, but he didn't get all excited over it like Naruto or most guys did. It just didn't matter to him. The only thing that mattered to him was getting stronger.

"So how many?"

Sasuke shrugged. He couldn't remember. "A few, I guess."

Naruto shook his head in disbelief. "Damn! How come you get all the good missions?"

"Because everyone else in Oto is either too mentally disturbed to act remotely normal or looks like they come from another species," he replied. It was really because he was the most able and the best looking, but those other reasons did come into it as well.

Naruto snickered. "Really? I figured you would come under the mentally disturbed category."

"Shut up, dobe." He was probably right, though, not that Sasuke cared so long as it didn't impair his abilities.

"So how old were they?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke sighed. This was so annoying. "I'm not sure. Not that old, but usually older than me." Most people thought he was older than he really was and once women saw his face they didn't much care anyway.

Naruto gaped at him. "_What_! You got to make out with hot older chicks!"

Sasuke shrugged. "Pretty much." Like it was a big deal.

"That is so not fair! What was it like? Was it good? I bet it was."

"I don't know. I can't really remember." Sasuke hedged, hoping it would discourage Naruto from further incessant questioning

Naruto gasped. "You don't _remember_ it? Did you even _like_ it?"

"It wasn't bad."

Naruto laughed. "It _wasn't bad_? You are _so_ gay!"

Sasuke's eyes flashed. "Want to say that again, dobe?"

"He's_ not_ gay!"

This came from Sakura, who had been listlessly drawing in the sand until that point. Sasuke was surprised at her sudden outburst, but said nothing. She was defending his sexuality after all – not that it _needed_ defending.

"No, of course not," Naruto amended quickly.

"Well, I don't know about you but I want to get some sleep, so if you're going to talk go somewhere else."

She sounded strangely annoyed. Funny, she hadn't sounded annoyed before.

_Like it matters. She probably just has PMS or something._

"I'll keep watch," Sasuke replied, but she had already curled over to her side.

Naruto mouthed the word 'gay' to him before he lay down on his own sleeping bag and shut his eyes.

This time Sasuke rolled his eyes in disgust. It was going to be a long night.

**A/N: So was that okay? I was kinda of sketchy at the beginning because I seriously had no idea what to write, but I got into it again as I continued. It took me about four days to write this chapter! Usually I can write, say, a 3,000 word chapter in three hours or so (hence all the typos), but I just kept picking this one up and leaving it again.**

**I know Naruto's a touch angsty in parts of this chapter, but he is human so he does feel 'sad' emotions along with all his 'happy' ones. And Sakura finally realizes she is in love with Sasuke! About bloody time! It was so obvious! Now it's Sasuke's turn...but he will take a bit longer to realize because he's so damn hard-headed!**

**I am also going to start getting back into the storyline, but just know that my sole focus will be on the pairing. I write the storyline to give Sasuke and Sakura an excuse to be together, really. I am good at writing about character development and stuff like that, not intricate storylines. **

**Please review and all that. **

**The next update is coming soon! **


	14. It's All in the Head

**A/N: Sorry again for the late update! I will only be updating on weekends now because that is the only time I'm not too tired to write. Oh, the hardships of a working life! If I ever become a jobless bum again, you'll know because I'll be updating pretty much everyday. But hopefully that won't happen. **

**Well, with this chapter we're getting back into the scheme of things, as troublesome as that is. I hate writing all that ultimate storyline crap. I just wanna focus on the romance! But alas, it must be done! So if you think the way I put stuff together is abominable, that's why. I just don't really care.**

**Enjoy! **

**It's All in the Head**

_Haunting in my dreams_

_I've tried running but I can't_

_Escape from you in my memories_

"**_City In a Snow Globe", _****Before Their Eyes**

"Some village."

She used the word 'village' loosely. So much for an insignificant travelling stop-over - this was a freaking mini-city!

Naruto snorted beside her. "I'll say." He then sneered at Sasuke, who was standing beside him. "Looks like there's a brothel. I guess you'll want to stop over and get some action, seeing as you can't get it anywhere else."

Sasuke didn't even bother humouring him with a reply. Sakura just rolled her eyes. Ever since Naruto had found out that Sasuke had kissed more people than him (which wasn't really hard to accomplish in the first place), he had been continuously barbing Sasuke with comments like that. He was probably trying to regain the male pride he'd lost…and failing miserably. Sasuke didn't care and neither did she…to some extent.

When Sasuke had casually talked about the women he'd kissed Sakura had procured a strange, splitting headache. It had probably been the result of scowling too much in the space of five minutes. She didn't know how Sasuke did it. But then again, he'd had a lot of practice over the years.

But the thought of _her_ Sasuke kissing all those women - _older_ women - just irked her to no end. And that fact that she now thought of him as _her_ Sasuke again pissed her off even more.

So she was in love with him. Big deal.

Well…yeah. It was kind of a big deal. It freaking _sucked_! But she had lived without him for five years and she had been fine for most of it. She was strong now. She could live without him forever if she had to.

She just wouldn't be happy.

Well, she probably wouldn't have been happy even if he'd stayed because all he ever seemed to do was make her sad anyway. But there was always this lightness to her steps when he was around and it was easier to smile.

Stupid Sasuke.

"So, should we get going?" she asked no one in particular. The plan was just to look around first to become familiar with the layout of the town. They would also look out for Sally, but the proper recon was for later.

"Yeah, let's go find the guy and smash him!" Naruto yelled as he raised his fist in the air.

Sakura bonked him over the head. It was so great that Naruto understood the importance of subtlety and planning. It really was.

"We're just looking, dobe. Remain as inconspicuous as possible," Sasuke said.

Sakura snickered. She doubted they could remain inconspicuous with Sasuke walking around with them. Maybe she should buy a paper bag to put over his head or something - he'd probably blend in more that way. But then again, knowing Sasuke, he'd somehow manage to make even _that_ look sexy.

Naruto scratched his head. "Inconspicuous?"

Sakura rolled her eyes again. "It means don't be an idiot and don't draw attention to yourself."

Naruto puffed his chest out and smiled proudly. "Nothing's impossible for Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage! Believe it!"

For some strange reason she really couldn't believe it just right then.

"Whatever, let's just go," Sasuke said with a bored tone before he looked pointedly at Naruto. "And don't go around mentioning Hokage crap. You don't want people to know you and Sakura are from Konoha."

Sakura noted his very pointed exclusion of himself from that sentence. Only she and Naruto were from Konoha, huh?

"Right, Naruto! So don't stuff this up!" Sakura yelled in an attempt to cover up the stabbing feeling in her gut.

Naruto pouted. "Why does everyone think _I'll_ stuff it up?"

Sakura scoffed. "Gee, I dunno."

"Yeah, well, why can't Sasuke stuff it up?" Naruto replied as he glared at the stoic Uchiha.

Sakura rolled her eyes, which was fast becoming a regular occurrence. "Because _he's_ not an idiot." Sasuke raised an eyebrow before she continued with, "He's an asshole. There's a difference."

Naruto grinned. "So what does that make you? A bitch?"

Sakura's eyebrow twitched dangerously. "I'm sorry, Naruto. Did you say something?"

Naruto gulped. "Uh…uh, no! Nothing!"

Sakura flipped her hair out of her eyes. "Good. That's what I thought." She cleared her throat. "Let's go, shall we?"

"That's what I've been trying to do for the past five minutes," Sasuke intoned as they walked ahead.

Sakura glared at him. "Well, whoop-dee-doo!" That headache from last night was seriously coming back.

000

Sakura's took in Urage's various sights with wide eyes. Sure, she hadn't been to many bustling cities but this was like the biggest city in the Land of Fire packed into a village a quarter the size of Konoha. She was amazed at how they accomplished such a feat.

She assumed they hadn't expanded the village limits because they wanted to keep this place off the radar. So that resulted in streets packed with merchandise and smells that assaulted the nose like Naruto's dirty laundry.

It was all 'Buy, buy, buy! as in that was literally what sellers were yelling as they shoved their wares into her face. They left Sasuke alone because they could probably tell they'd be risking their life if they did the same with him and they stayed away from Naruto because…well, because Naruto already seemed incredibly interested in their wares.

So they picked on the innocent, nice-looking pink-haired girl, of course. It sort of went as follows…

"Buy!"

"No."

"Can I buy this, Sakura?"

"No."

"Buy!"

"No!"

"Aw, come on, Sakura! It's so cool!"

"No!"

"Buy!"

"Get lost."

"Pretty-please, Sakura-chan!"

"Shut up, Naruto."

"Buy!"

"Go away."

"You're so mean, Sakura!"

"I don't care. Shut up."

"Buy!"

"Piss off!"

"_Sakura_!"

"Naruto, move it or lose it and I _know_ you know what I'm talking about!"

"Buy!"

"_I SAID PISS OFF!_"

It was only when everyone stopped and stared that she realized she'd punched the salesman into his stall.

_Err…crap._

Naruto burst out laughing as Sasuke looked on impatiently.

He raised an eyebrow. "You know, when I said be as inconspicuous as possible, I actually meant it."

Sakura huffed. "Why thank you for pointing that out, Mr. Obvious!"

Sasuke shrugged. "I wasn't the one who punched an innocent bystander into a stall."

**He's got you there, old girl.**

_Who are you calling old? _

The salesman picked himself up from the ground and stared at his former stall in astonishment. Then he glared at her. It would have been sort of intimidating was it not for the blood pouring out of his broken nose.

Sakura laughed sheepishly. "Heh…my bad!"

The man glared harder and waved frantically at his unrecognizable stall. "You're paying for that!"

_Like hell I am!_

"Um…how about I just heal that instead?" she pointed to his broken nose.

The man scoffed. "Like you could."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Watch and stand in awe, buddy!" She marched up to him, placed a hand on his nose, summoned her chakra and healed his stupid nose in ten seconds flat.

He touched his repaired nose in amazement. "You did it!"

Sakura brushed imaginary dirt off her shoulder. "Of course I did!"

"You're still paying for it."

_Time for the masterful escape plan!_

"Quick, Naruto! Sasuke! _Run_!"

Without waiting for their reply, she grabbed one of their hands each and pulled them along, running furiously until she had cleared about four streets. It was a good thing this village/mini-city was so crowded. It was easy to hide.

"You can let go now."

Sakura blushed as she released Sasuke's hand. "Ha, ha! That was a close one!"

Naruto snickered. "And you thought _I_ would stuff up!"

Sakura put her hands on her hips. "I couldn't help it! Didn't you see how they were shoving that crap in my face?"

Naruto's face blanked in confusion. "Nope."

"That's because you were too busy looking at that crap yourself!" She looked to Sasuke in desperation. "You saw it, didn't you?"

"No. I didn't have the same problem," he replied impatiently.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "That's because you're _you_." She pouted. "Why do you get special treatment just because you have an ominous presence?"

"Anyway, thanks you to, it would be impractical to continue scouting today," Sasuke continued, ignoring her rant. "You're far too easy to notice with that hair."

"Yeah, Sakura! You just lost us a whole day!" Naruto whined.

Sakura put on a contrite face, but Inner Sakura grinned evilly as she rubbed her hands together with glee.

**You have gained another day with Sasuke! Good job, Sakura!**

_Don't care. Shut up._

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let's just find a place to stay, okay?" She tried to brush it off casually, but in reality she was embarrassed that she had stuffed up so badly. She was one of Konoha's most respected jounin! She had been part of the elite ANBU! How could she have made such a stupid mistake?

But those salesmen _were_ really annoying…

"Good idea. That way you can stay in the room and Naruto and I can continue looking around," Sasuke replied thoughtfully. "Let's go."

000

She knew she should've stayed in the hotel. She really did. But it had been so _boring_! It had been three hours since the boys had left her there and she had been so bored she had started counting the tiles in the bathroom.

So she had donned a head-scarf to cover her noticeably pink locks, changed her shirt and went for a walk. Now she just looked like the average kitchen-hand walking around the streets. It was ingenious, really.

She knew Sasuke would probably maim her alive if he caught her, but she had thought of a great plan to prevent that: if Sasuke is sighted, run like hell. Simple and effective.

God, she really had been spending too much time with Naruto!

But dressed as she was the residents didn't treat her as an outsider or tourist to whom they could sell their wares. She looked poor, after all. Some people even stopped to smile and wave. She relished the chance to appear normal, even if she was only pretending. She relished the thought that when people saw her, they saw an average-looking, meek kitchen-hand who was probably working to help out her parents in their average restaurant or café, possibly crushing on one of the regulars, maybe currently caught up in a whirlwind romance with another average guy. A girl who would one day become a woman and get married and have many children and live to see old age.

But she wasn't average. She didn't have that type of closure in her line of work. Sure, people died all the time because of sick coincidences, but not everyone purposely put their life on the line for their work. She wasn't a kitchen-hand. She wasn't crushing on a customer of a restaurant she didn't work in. She wasn't caught up in some sweet romance. She was in love with a guy who didn't want to have anything to do with her and who was going to leave to kill his own brother. She didn't know if she'd ever get married because the only man she'd ever considered marrying was Sasuke and if she didn't get married, she wouldn't have sex. If she didn't have sex, she wouldn't have children. And despite Naruto's insistence that she would live to grow old, they could never be sure.

And though she longed for a normal life at times, she wouldn't change her life for the world. If she had lived another life she wouldn't have met Sasuke and grown to love him as she did now. Though loving Sasuke meant her heart got broken again and again, she didn't really mind. Sasuke needed someone to love him, even if he didn't want it. Everyone needed someone to love them and he shouldn't be exempt from that just because he was hell-bent on revenge. And who better to love him than the girl he'd once (begrudgingly) protected? Sasuke was her moon - so beautiful, yet so distant and cold and hard-looking.

If she had lived another life, she wouldn't have met Naruto. Sure, she had hated him at first, but now she couldn't imagine her life without him around to brighten her day. He was a phenomenal person who defied every law of nature regardless of the consequences. Naruto was her sun. Naruto was everyone's sun. He warmed everyone's world and lit up their way, but especially hers and she felt privileged to be able to call him her best friend even if he was an idiot.

If she had lived another life, she wouldn't have met Kakashi or Tsunade, her two sensei's. There was no other person in the world like Kakashi. The man defined enigma. He was cloaked in mystery. But behind the mask, the constant lateness, and his perverted books was an incredibly decent man who taught her the importance of teamwork and placing others before herself.

Tsunade was also one in a million. At times she could be incredibly compassionate, but at any time for any given reason that could suddenly switch into a ferocious temper that could probably even scare Orochimaru (well, maybe if he wasn't so demented in the brain). Tsunade was the woman who had made her into the shinobi she was today. She was the one who had recognized her potential when no one else had and saved her. If she hadn't been training as she had, she would have had time to sulk over Sasuke but Tsunade had made it so she barely had time to breathe, much less sulk.

And if she had lived another life, she wouldn't have met remarkable people like Ino, Lee, Shikamaru, Gaara, Neji, Tenten, Hinata, Chouji, Kiba, and Shino. All were amazing shinobi in their own way and she couldn't imagine having better friends. Even if Ino was a bitch/slut/pig. Even if Lee wore green spandex. Even if Shikamaru was the laziest person she'd ever met. Even if Gaara was slightly psychotic. Even if Neji didn't seem to be able to blink. Even if Tenten was obsessed with pointy things. Even if Hinata had trouble compiling complete sentences. Even if Chouji wouldn't stop eating. Even if Kiba's best friend was a dog. Even if Shino…she wouldn't even start on the weirdness of Shino and his bugs.

And she was the pink-haired girl who could punch holes into the ground. Naruto was the guy who had the most powerful demon in existence residing inside him. And Sasuke was the insanely good-looking avenger whose eyes turned red at will.

Damn, they were a twisted bunch!

But she loved every single one of them. Especially Naruto.

And especially Sasuke…

A loud coughing interrupted her thoughts and Sakura, being the medic she was, immediately started to look around for the source. She hated seeing people in unnecessary distress and these sounded like those deep wracking coughs that came from a chest full of fluid that shouldn't be there.

Finally, she looked into a cramped alleyway and her heart clenched at the sight that met her eyes.

There was a small group of young children crouched down in the shadows of the cramped alleyway, dressed in rags and as dirty as hell. Tears sprung into her eyes as she looked at them. How could anyone just leave these children alone to die like this? It was obvious they were all sick from having to steal what was probably unclean food and sleep out in the cold every night.

_What happened here?_

She slowly approached the children. They eyed her warily and stank to high heaven, but she didn't care. She was used to funny smells, having worked in a hospital for years.

Undaunted by their obvious reproach, she knelt down in front of them. There were five of them in total. Three boys and two girls. None of them looked older than eight.

"Hey, I'm Sakura. What's your name?" she asked one of the little girls, smiling brightly.

The little girl smiled back shyly. "I'm Lola. Sakura is a pretty name."

Sakura grinned. "Thank you. I think Lola is really pretty as well."

"Don't talk to her, Lola!" the oldest-looking boy scolded harshly. Sakura could understand why he didn't trust her. No doubt other adults had abused them in the past.

Sakura smiled at him. "You must be in charge around here. I'm very impressed that you've kept your friends alive. You must be really strong." She spoke to him like he was an equal because she knew that's what he would respond to.

He eyed her suspiciously. "What do you want?"

Sakura shrugged. "I just wanted to know the names of the brave children I saw."

The boy, apparently seeing she was no threat, answered her. "My name is Uragi. Then there's Lola, Yura, Tiyayo, and Okuna." He coughed harshly at the end of his sentence.

"Thank you, Uragi. I'm happy you trusted me with your names."

Uragi shrugged and look down. "Whatever." He looked back up at her. "You look like you're from around here. Why haven't I seen you before?"

Sakura instinctively knew it was better not to lie to this boy. "Well, I'm actually a shinobi from Konoha on a top secret mission, but I'm sort of in disguise because I punched a salesman into his stall this morning."

The boy smirked as the others giggled.

"So why bother with us?" he asked.

Sakura shrugged again. "I'm a medic as well. I hate to see people sick and I see you have a bit of a cough there."

"And you're saying you could do something about it."

"Yeah, pretty much."

He seemed to think for a few moments before he answered. "Okay, fine."

Sakura smiled brightly. No doubt he was trying to do what was best for the children he was taking care of. He really was a remarkable boy.

"Okay, let's get started!"

000

This was pointless. It really was.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't entirely pointless. It was just that he could think of much better things to do with his time. Things like beat up Naruto, find Sally, beat up Naruto more, check on Sakura…

_Wait…_

Scratch the last one. Why would he want to check on Sakura? He didn't _need_ to check on Sakura so therefore he did not _want_ to check on her. And to what purpose would it prevail? It had no purpose. It was pointless and unnecessary.

So why was he walking in the direction of the motel?

_Coincidence._

Hardly.

It was something else, something dangerous and what's more, he knew it. He was forming an attachment to her.

It had been bad enough that he had started to become comfortable with Naruto and Sakura again, just like back in their genin days. He didn't know what it was, but something about being with them was so natural that he sunk back into a sense of comradeship without even realizing it. Like when Naruto was being an idiot, which was often, he'd join in with the bantering. When he had first joined them, he had ignored them and remained distant at all times.

And now he was beginning to…_care_ about what happened to Sakura. It had started with their conversation in the tree. He had wanted to _console_ her. He shouldn't have cared about how she would feel when he left again, but he had. He did. And he had felt guilty when he had seen her crying because he knew it was because of him, just like it always was.

At first he had thought it was simply old protective feelings resurfacing. He had always tried to protect her back then because she had been so defenceless and he couldn't stand the thought that one of his team mates would die on _his_ watch. It was unacceptable.

It was like that time he had reacted so strongly in the Forest of Death when he had seen her so bloodied and beaten. He had felt such uncontrollable anger at that time. That was because she had gotten into that state under his watch…and he had been unconscious. Failure.

So he had thought that it was simply those feelings resurfacing. But that didn't explain why he continually thought she was beautiful. That didn't explain why he continually seemed to let his guard down around her without even realizing it. That didn't explain why he had gotten so goddamn jealous when he had heard about all her…experiences of the sexual nature.

That didn't explain why the thought of it still made his blood boil even at that moment.

And that certainly didn't explain why the thought of her doing that kind of thing in the future after he left again made him want to lock her in a room and throw away the key.

So that meant he was possibly falling…

_No!_

No, he was not, _definitely_ not. He had his promise of revenge and that was all he needed. Nothing else. He didn't need Naruto, he didn't need Sakura and he most certainly didn't need love. All love had done was bite him in the ass and that was why he was where he was today.

"Okay, let's get started!"

Sasuke almost walked into a tree. That sounded exactly like Sakura. But that wasn't possible. She was in the motel. Well, she was _supposed_ to stay there anyway, whether she did or not was unknown.

_I knew I should've checked on her._

It was Sakura, alright. There she was, looking like a poor maid, crouching down in an alleyway with a bunch of ratty-looking kids. Her hair was tied up in some cloth thing and her shirt was different, but it was her. He knew that smile anywhere…that, and the fact that wisps of her pink hair were escaping from her cloth thing.

_What the hell is she doing?_

She was supposed to be in the motel, not talking to random kids in alleyways.

Sasuke remained in the shadow of the tree and masked his presence so he could see what she was up to. He was curious. She had placed her hands on one of the kid's heads and had shut her eyes. A green glow emanated from her hands that he recognized as her chakra. So she was healing them.

The kids she was with looked homeless, judging by their clothes and the fact that they were wrapped up in blankets in an alleyway. But they were so young, far too young to be homeless. No doubt Sakura had gotten bored in the motel, gone out for a walk, found these kids and couldn't stop herself from helping them.

He smiled softly. It was such a Sakura thing to do.

After a few minutes of talking with the kids, they all stood up. Sakura took the hand of the smallest girl as they walked.

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. What were they doing now? He moved out of the shadows of the tree and followed them from a safe distance. He knew he should be scouting the area like they had planned, but finding out what Sakura was up to seemed far more interesting and an overall better use of his time, he thought.

He watched as Sakura went up to an orphanage.

Panic rose in his chest. _She's not going to adopt them, is she?_ Surely even she wouldn't be so impulsive, not to mention downright idiotic.

Maybe she was just buying them food or something…but then wouldn't she be at some food shop?

When he saw her waving money around, he almost went up there and stopped her from doing whatever she was doing, but something compelled him to stay where he was. He didn't understand why, but he'd learned to trust his instincts.

If only he could hear what they were saying. He had very refined hearing, but her voice was lost in the incessant noises of the bustling street. Not even his refined senses could pick out her words from the cacophony of others.

He looked around for a place to eavesdrop…err, watch more closely. He spotted a tree just next to the front of the orphanage and transported himself onto one of the branches so he was practically directly overhead.

Another man had now joined the conversation Sakura was having with the lady.

"So Takayu-san is willing to take these children to Konoha?" Sakura was asking.

The man, presumably Takayu-san, replied for the lady. "Yes, for decent pay. These kids mean nothing to me and it is a long journey."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in curiosity. She was trying to get someone to take the children to Konoha? For what purpose?

Then Sakura held out a large wad of bills. Sasuke gaped. That was _their_ money. Well, technically it was the money the Hokage had given Sakura and Naruto to cover the expenses of their mission. He didn't have any money himself because he was used to threatening people into getting what he needed and they didn't exactly pay you at Oto.

"Is this enough?"

Mr. Takayu took the money from her and counted it carefully. "I want more."

"I don't have anymore. This is the last of my stock," Sakura replied.

The eldest looking of the children gaped up at Sakura. "But miss, you don't have to give away all your money for us!"

Sakura smiled down at him. "It's okay; I'll get it back eventually." She looked back at Mr. Takayu. "Tell the guards at the main gates that you need to see the Hokage. Tell them Haruno Sakura sent you. I'll write a letter for you to give to the Hokage. She will make sure these children find a place to live. If you need more money, tell her that I said to negotiate with you about it and I will pay her back when I return from my mission. Is that satisfactory?"

Mr. Takayu eyed her suspiciously. "How do I know you're not just bluffing and the Hokage won't actually do anything for me?"

Sakura sighed and slipped a ring off her finger. "Give this to the Hokage. It was what she gave me when I become a jounin. It is very precious to me, so don't lose it!"

The man looked at the ring closely. "The arrangement is satisfactory."

Sakura smiled brightly. "Good, now come over here for a second. I want to show you something." She walked over to the other tree (thank god) outlining the orphanage's entrance and promptly ripped it out of the ground and broke crushed it into pieces with her fist. The man looked on with an expression of mixed terror and amazement.

"Now, Takayu-san, if you leave these kids out in the middle of no where and run off with my ring and my money, I will personally hunt you down and this is what will happen." She casually waved at the splintered tree. "But put your body in the place of the tree."

The man paled and gulped heavily. "Y-yeah, s-s-sure thing. They'll get there."

Sakura smiled again. "Excellent!" She walked up to the man and shook his hand firmly. Sasuke thought he heard something crack as the man winced. "Nice doing business with you."

She turned back to the children and knelt down in front of the eldest child. "Now, Uragi, I need you to take care of the others. And don't be scared of the Hokage when you meet her. She may seem a little scary at first, but she's really just a big softy."

The boy, Uragi, bit his lip in uncertainty. "You sure she'll give us a home? All together?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Positive! So be brave for them, okay?"

He boy nodded before Sakura drew him into a hug. Sasuke watched as she hugged each of the children. He watched as she watched them retreat into the orphanage. He watched as she walked under his tree but then turned around to catch sight of them one last time. He watched as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

He silently dropped from the tree so he was right behind her. "Sakura."

"Wha-" She twirled around with wide eyes. "Sasuke!" she squeaked.

He smirked.

"What were you doing, Sakura?" he asked firmly.

Sakura bit her lip and looked down at the ground sheepishly. "Oh…oh, nothing really!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "So what are you doing outside the motel room?"

Her eyes looked at anything but him. "I…I got bored. But I used a disguise, you see!"

Sasuke sneered. "A pathetic disguise. I knew who you were immediately."

Her eyes flashed as she glared up at him. "Hey! I did the best I could under the circumstances!"

Sasuke smirked again. He had gotten her angry, just like he'd wanted her to. "You wouldn't have even had to worry about it if you'd done what you were told, Sakura."

She looked down at the ground again and clasped her hands in front of her. "I…sorry."

His smirk grew. He loved making her squirm. "And what was that money you handed over to that man, Sakura?"

Sakura's eyes flew up to his. "You _saw_ that?"

"So you admit you have something to hide."

Sakura's eyes averted from his face and he growled low in his throat, so she couldn't hear it. He didn't even know why he wanted to make her uncomfortable in the first place. Maybe it was because he enjoyed watching the affect he had on her. Maybe it was because lately she had been making him unsure of everything that used to be so crystal clear in his mind.

Without thinking, he took her chin with his hand and turned her head towards him. "Answer me, Sakura."

He could feel Sakura trembling and was amazed that she could switch roles so quickly. Less than a minute ago she had been threatening that man with certain dismemberment and now…now she was _trembling_ before him. She never seemed to be like this in front of anyone else. Sure, she cried in front of Naruto, but he doubted Naruto had ever made her tremble. Perhaps he was the only one who had this power over her.

So he still had some affect on her after all. Maybe she wasn't as over him as he first thought. Maybe her heart was still his. The thought that she still belonged to him was elating. And part of him wanted to crush her so then maybe she wouldn't be so happy all the time and maybe then she'd leave him alone once and for all…

But at the same time he wanted to take her heart and keep it for his own so maybe some of her warmth would seep into him. And just because he wanted to know Sakura was his and his alone. That no other man would ever mean as much to her as he did.

But that was wrong. She deserved better. She deserved better than him and better than the life he could offer.

"I…I…"

And suddenly seeing her squirm wasn't as amusing as it was before. Why did she have to be scared of him?

He moved his thumb along her jaw line, relishing the feel of her soft skin. "Its okay, Sakura. I already know." He released her jaw, but didn't step back.

Her eyes widened. "You do? And you don't mind?"

Sasuke shrugged lightly. "Though I would prefer to have some money to back us up, it is of no consequence. I can survive without money just fine." He paused. "And it was for an admirable cause."

A tear slipped down her cheek and he scowled. "Why are you crying?"

Before he realized, his hand reached out and he brushed the tear away with his thumb, lightly cupping her face in the process.

He froze.

She froze.

_What am I _doing_?_

But before he could move his hand, Sakura pressed it to her face and shut her eyes.

Sasuke inhaled sharply as a myriad of emotions assaulted him. He briefly shut his eyes, basking in the feel of it, before opening them to look down at her.

"Sakura, I…"

He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. Why, _why_ did she always have this affect on him?

She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. It was one of her real smiles. "This is how I want it to be, Sasuke. This is how it should be. You shouldn't be alone."

Sasuke clenched his teeth and abruptly pulled his hand away. He did not want her pity. "You're wrong."

She smiled up at him. "No, I'm pretty sure I'm not."

He glared at her. "Go back to the motel and stay there this time."

And without another word, he disappeared.

000

"What did you do to her?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth at Naruto's unexpected question.

After he had…spoken with Sakura that afternoon, he had gone off to find Naruto and tell him they were done for the day. It had been late anyway. Tura had given them the address of her contact in the village before they'd left, but it was always good to become familiar with one's surroundings, just in case. He did not want to take any chances.

Part of him wondered what Orochimaru thought of all this. He'd been gone for over two weeks now. No doubt Orochimaru knew he wasn't coming back…at least for now. What had him worried was that Orochimaru would stop at nothing to have his body. Not that he was scared; he could probably take on Orochimaru. What had him worried was that Orochimaru hadn't yet tried to retrieve him. In any normal case, Orochimaru would have sent 'pawns' after Sasuke immediately but now he was just leaving him alone, which meant he wanted Sasuke to stay away. He didn't know why and that was…annoying. He did not like being played.

And at the moment Orochimaru could control him with the curse mark somewhat. He couldn't exactly control his thoughts or intentions, but he could inflict excruciating pain on him to the point that he would have no choice but to return. He was just waiting for the day Orochimaru decided he wanted him back. It was a race against time…and in that time he had to figure out what the hell some war or whatever having to do with Konoha had to do with him.

That would have been pretty simple and straightforward had not Naruto and Sakura come and complicated the situation. He liked working alone for various reasons, two of which being he was able to keep a clear head at all times and he worked more effectively alone. Now he wasn't keeping a clear head because all this…stuff having to do with Naruto and especially Sakura was distracting him and he wasn't working effectively because his mind wasn't clear and because Naruto had about as much finesse as a blind painter.

So right now he _really_ did not want to deal with _anything_ to do with his relationship concerning Sakura. There was no _relationship_ to begin with. Why could Naruto not understand that? Why could Sakura not understand that there never will be, platonic or otherwise (_definitely_ not otherwise)? He just wanted to get the job done and leave. He had been training for revenge for five years. He was ready. He knew it. All he had to do was obtain the Mangekou Sharingan. He didn't quite know how he was supposed to do that, seeing as he didn't really have any friends anymore, but if he had to kill Naruto, so be it. He would not let his emotions get in the way of what he had to do - not again.

Sasuke looked down at Sakura's sleeping form. In the single room they had rented, there were two single beds and a futon. When Sasuke and Naruto had arrived at the room, Sakura had been fast asleep. Sasuke had no idea why Naruto thought something would be wrong. She was_ sleeping_, peacefully at that.

"I didn't do anything."

Naruto scoffed. "Yeah, and I can use the Sharingan."

He really didn't need this.

"Look, screw-up, get it through your thick head. You mean nothing to me and she means nothing to me, so just let me do what I need to do without pushing all this relationship shit on me," he stated with deliberate coldness.

Naruto glared. "Look at her, you bastard!"

Sasuke glared back. "She's sleeping. What could possibly be wrong with that?"

Naruto shook his head in disappointment. "You don't know Sakura like I do. If Sakura was left waiting someplace she wouldn't even blink until they got back, no matter how tired she was. Ever since _you_ left, she's had this thing about people leaving her alone. Though she does a good job of hiding it, I can tell. Her biggest fear is that everyone will leave her and never come back, just like you did. That's why she was so happy when I came back from my three years of training. That's why she never moves from the spot she was left and just keeps waiting and waiting. But when we came back, she was sleeping. Something's seriously wrong with that. It means she just gave up."

A wave of jealousy washed over him before he could stop it. _"You don't know Sakura like I do."_ Why should he care if Sakura's relationship with Naruto was stronger than theirs? They didn't even _have_ a relationship of any sort because he didn't _want_ one.

"Whatever. That's not my problem. I never asked her to care about me and I never asked her to miss me. I certainly never asked her to wait for me, so as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter at all."

Naruto clenched his fists by his side. "You'll never change, will you? But what I can't get is how you stand being alone all the time."

It was hollow. He felt empty, like there was nothing left anymore. Like nothing mattered but what he was going to do, what he had to do. No, he couldn't stand it at all. He just lived through it.

He knew that Naruto was the only person who knew the extent of loneliness he did. But Naruto's loneliness was opposite to his. Naruto grew up without anybody. Loneliness was all he had known until he had found Team 7.

But Sasuke had known what it was to belong, to have a clan, a mother, a father, and a big brother. Even if it wasn't perfect, even if he had to constantly live up to his brother's standards, even if he could never seem to impress his father enough, he had still fit in somewhere. And he knew what it was like to lose it all. For Naruto, it had been all he had ever known. For Sasuke, it was something he'd had to learn to live with.

But why should he let people in like Naruto had? To what purpose would that prevail? He had unwittingly let Sakura and Naruto in and look where that had gotten him. They were now just more problems to add onto the growing pile.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter."

Naruto clenched his fists tighter and Sasuke could tell he was barely maintaining control. "Why can't you see that she cares for you…that we care for you?"

"I can see that, though I don't know why you do, much less care. You're foolish if I still mean something to you. I left Sakura unconscious on a bench and I tried to kill you."

Suddenly Naruto relaxed his fists. "It doesn't matter what you did to us. You're Sasuke. You'll never stop meaning something to us."

Sasuke clenched his jaw. Naruto's words were amazingly similar to Sakura's previous words.

"It doesn't matter."

Maybe if he kept saying it enough, it would be true.

Naruto chuckled. "You know what I think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow expectantly. He didn't much care what Naruto thought, but he knew the blonde idiot would tell him anyway.

"I think you're scared."

Sasuke smirked smugly, but it didn't quite turn out right. "Scared?"

Naruto smiled knowingly. "Yeah, you're scared to _not_ be alone. Because when you're alone, you remember what Itachi did and you feel the pain of it everyday and that's what keeps you going, but when you're not alone, you become happy and suddenly it doesn't matter so much anymore and then you feel bad because you're an Uchiha, you have to avenge your clan. I understand your need for that, but you're still scared; scared that if you don't hate Itachi with everything within you, it won't be enough to beat him. You're scared that you won't live up to your brother's standard. You're scared you won't impress your father, deceased or not. And most of all, you're scared to let _us_ in because you do still care for us deep down inside and you're scared that if you let yourself care for us and you find your happiness again, that it will all be taken away from you just like it was back then. Then you will have lost your sense of belonging again, just like you did back then."

The smile disappeared from Naruto's face. "I don't know what it's like to lose someone you love. Not like you did. And I can see why you'd be reluctant to let yourself care for anyone after what happened, but what I can't really understand is how you can stand it. Why do you think we've never really given up on you, Sasuke? It's certainly not because you're a model character or anything. It's because we care about you. You were like my brother. You _are_ like my brother. And then you left. It was like I had found a family, and then I had lost part of it again. And after that happened I would have done _anything_ to get you back. Why else do you think I trained for so long to become stronger? It wasn't just because I want to become Hokage, it's because I wanted to be strong enough to get you back. And you will come back, after you've done what you have to."

Sasuke scowled. "I'm never coming back. There's no life left for me in Konoha." That plus the fact they'd probably try to lock him up for life.

A familiar glint appeared in Naruto's bright eyes. The glint of anticipation of a challenge. "Yes, you are, even if I have to chain you down with a hundred shackles!"

All of which he could break free from. "You promised you'd leave me alone."

Naruto grinned. "No, _Sakura_ promised _she'd_ leave you alone. _I_ said no such thing. And besides, five years ago I made a promise to Sakura that I'd get you back no matter what. That promise still stands today and I _always_ keep my word."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I don't care what promise you made, I'm not coming back. There's nothing left for me."

"We're there."

"I repeat: _there's nothing left for me_."

Naruto smirked. "Oh, you'll come back, Sasuke. And perhaps it won't be by _my_ doing."

000

"Orochimaru-sama, when are you planning to retrieve Sasuke?"

A smile. "Have patience, Kabuto. I'll let him run around with his friends a bit longer. It's so amusing to watch him try to balance his emotions. Itachi's plan is far more effective than I thought it would be."

"And when will the plans be coming into effect, my Lord?"

"Soon, Kabuto. Soon."

"And what about Sasuke's teammates?"

"You worry too much, Kabuto. They are nothing but little bees buzzing around honey, only workers in the beautiful grand scheme of nature. Sasuke will be returning to us soon and when he does, I guarantee he will be on our side once again. After all, isn't power all he wants? And if he helps destroy Konoha, he will receive the ultimate power."

**A/N: Put your hand up if you hate Orochimaru! Oh well, I'm so killing him in this story anyway! What a creep!**

**As you might have noticed, a lot of this chapter is in dear old Sasuke's point of view. This is because he's the character who has to sort through all his crap at the moment. Naruto knows where he's going, Sakura knows what she feels and accepts it somewhat, but Sasuke is just a stubborn bastard and has a lot of emotional issues. **

**Also, Sakura is a bit aggressive in parts of this chapter and complacent in other parts. This is because of her nature. She is a walking contradiction. She has a fearsome temper some times, is extremely compassionate, and though she has a strong nature, she CAN get overwhelmed by things such as Sasuke's supreme sexiness. I mean, come on! She IS a female! How can you NOT? And she's in love with him. That makes her vulnerable.**

**So there you go. **


	15. It's All What It's Not

**A/N: I usually don't update this quickly anymore, but I just HAD to write this chapter immediately! You'll understand why! The relationship between Sasuke and Sakura shifts in this one.**

**I also want to thank my reviewers again! The response I've received for this fic is more than I ever expected! Thanks so much! I swear, when I get good reviews I just want to hurry up and write the next chapter so you guys can read it and hopefully enjoy it! So if you review, I update faster. **

**Enjoy! **

**It's All What It's Not**

_Love's twilight wanes in heaven above,_

_On earth ere twilight reins:_

_Ere fear may feel the chill thereof,_

_Love's twilight wanes._

**_-_****Algernon Charles Swinburne**

"So now what?"

Sakura gave Naruto a withering look. "We've been over this, what, three times already?"

Naruto gave her an innocent look. "Sorry, was I supposed to be listening?"

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. "_Naruto_!"

Naruto grinned mischievously and put his hands behind his head. "It was a joke! Geez, Sakura! Lighten up, would ya!"

Sakura glared at him. "I'll lighten up when I know Konoha's not in danger." _And when I know what do to about Sasuke._

Yeah, good luck with that one.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "What_ever_. How long till we get there anyway?"

Sakura sighed. They had been walking for a while. After waking up that morning, Sasuke had announced that they were going to visit Tura's contact that lived outside Urage. The way Sasuke had said it had pissed her off royally, like they were going and had no choice in the matter but she hadn't been able to think of anything better to do, so she'd had no choice but to let it slide.

Sasuke claimed he knew where he was going. She didn't know how he knew, but yet again, she couldn't think of anything better to do, so she just had to trust him. Oh, how annoying that was.

She hated not being in control. When she was in control, she knew what was going on and she knew what was going to happen. No surprises, no heartbreak. That was why she enjoyed being a medic. Not only did she help people, she could control what happened to their body. She controlled the situation. That's why she liked being a mission leader, also. She made the decisions.

This had started after Sasuke had left. She couldn't begin to count how many things in her changed after he had left. Some good, some bad. She had never used to want to be in control when she was younger, before he left. She had been quite happy to just go along with whatever people wanted.

But part of her couldn't help but wonder if she could have prevented his departure somehow if she hadn't always been so damn willing to just 'go along with it.' It always came back to that, didn't it? It always came back to what she could have done better.

There was really no point in wondering what she could have done better. It was done, it was over. Even if she had somehow made him stay that one time, he would have left sooner or later. No matter how much she and Naruto and Kakashi and Team Seven could have possibly meant to him, avenging his clan always meant more. Killing Itachi had _always_ come first in his life. It still did.

And she supposed she should trust him now because hadn't she asked him to trust her? How much harder would it be for him to trust anyone?

It was like she was warring with herself. One part of her trusted him implicitly. It was her Sasuke; she'd always trust him, always love him. But another part of her was a bit wary, even though she loved him. This part of her didn't want to open itself up to him in any way because he was leaving again. It was a given. It was inevitable. It was going to happen. If she didn't open herself up to him like the other part of her wanted to, she wouldn't get hurt again. Not too much, anyway.

But then again, how could she just leave him be to wallow in darkness like he did? She loved him. She couldn't bear to see him like he was now. _All_ of her couldn't bear to see him like he was now. So it had been decided even before she'd thought about it. Well, she _was_ always trying to help people, wasn't she? Why should Sasuke be any different?

And she couldn't help but open up to him, anyway, just like she had done yesterday. He had looked so tortured. She hated seeing him in pain like that, especially knowing it was partly self-inflicted. She had just wanted to touch him, had just wanted to erase the pain. And it had worked for a few seconds, until he had closed up once again and had pushed her away, like he always did.

Then the 'other' part of her had become angry and defensive and in a desperate bid to protect herself, she had put her feelings of being left behind aside and fell asleep to show she didn't give a damn (even though she totally did). But when she had awoken today to see Naruto's worried eyes, she had reverted back to her usual self. She hated worrying Naruto. He was the only person who knew how she worked. He was the only person who understood.

"Do we have much further to go, Sasuke?" she asked with forcible sweetness.

He didn't turn around or acknowledge that she had spoken. He just remained walking two meters ahead of her and Naruto, just like he had been doing since they'd set off that morning.

_Stupid, pig-headed asshole!_

If he was going to be childish and ignore her, she was going to be childish and take advantage of the situation!

"I don't know about you, Naruto, but it's nearly eleven and I'm getting hungry."

Naruto's stomach growled loudly and he frowned and put a hand on it. "Come to think of it, so am I!"

Sakura smiled serenely, Inner Sakura smiled evilly. "Then let's stop for a light lunch, shall we?"

This would piss Sasuke off for sure! He hated when she just stopped them suddenly to eat when they didn't really need to. She knew it was unprofessional, but it wasn't like they were in a life or death situation here, right at this very second. They were going to see the contact today, so what difference did another half an hour make? Besides, their bodies needed nourishment if they were to stay in top condition at all times.

At least that's what she told herself. In reality, she just wanted Sasuke to learn his place, wherever it was.

"We don't need to stop."

Sakura smirked. She _knew_ that would get a reaction. "Seriously, Sasuke. You should lighten up a bit. What difference is half an hour going to make? And besides, if we don't stop to eat now you're going to have to put up with Naruto's growling stomach for God knows how long. It's not pleasant."

Sasuke stopped and she could see his jaw clench and unclench. "Fine. Just half an hour."

"Thanks, Sasuke!" she chirped with sickly sweetness. She thought she heard Sasuke mutter something that sounded like "annoying" under his breath, but decided to ignore it the benefit of her mental equilibrium.

They sat down under a tree some ways into the forest. Sasuke simply leaned back against one tree and shut his eyes. He looked completely relaxed, but Sakura knew he was highly alert to his surroundings.

Naruto was practically inhaling his food in an almost unhealthy manner. Anyone who didn't know him would be worried that he'd choke or something, but Sakura was used to his less-than-attractive eating habits. When the boy was hungry, the boy was hungry.

The only problem with Naruto's inhaling technique was that he couldn't talk at the same time. She knew this because the one time he had tried, he _had_ actually started choking. It was a good thing she had been around. After that, he ate first, talked later. And that meant silence…in this case, awkward silence.

Well, it wasn't exactly silent. There was the sound of Naruto's slurping and chewing. Then there were the sounds of the forest - the birds singing, cricket's chirping (or whatever the hell that annoying noise was) and the breeze gently rustling through the trees. There was the sound of the wildlife going about their business, and she could even hear the slight trickling of water coming from some unknown direction.

But none of these soothing sounds dispelled the feeling of awkwardness that had settled between her and Sasuke. Naruto was exempt from that because he couldn't feel awkward if he tried. He probably didn't even know what the word meant. But he was eating.

Then there was Sasuke pretending she wasn't there and her pretending Sasuke wasn't there, though she was aware of him with every fibre of her being.

_Hurry up and finish, Naruto, __s_he pleaded silently as she picked at her food. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all. A pissed-off Sasuke wasn't exactly a good Sasuke. He was more prone to dickhead-ed-ness if he was pissed off.

_This definitely wasn't a good idea._

"You do realize I'm going to have to scout the village when we return because I couldn't yesterday," she said to no one in particular. She really just wanted to break the silence and said the first thing that came into her head other than 'Gods above, I'm such an idiot.'

Naruto swallowed the last of his food. "Boo hoo. It was your fault you punched a guy into his stall."

Sakura shot him a glare. "Shut up, Naruto! It wasn't _my_ fault he was annoying the hell out of me!"

Naruto sneered, a dark expression that didn't quite suite Naruto's usually sunny disposition at all. "I have an idea, why you just go and seduce someone to get what you want? That would save you all the trouble of walking around the village, wouldn't it, Sakura?"

Sakura groaned. "Are you _still_ sore about that, Naruto?"

Naruto bristled. "I can't help it if I don't like the fact that you've kissed Lee, Kiba and Neji as well as me!"

Sakura smirked. "Don't forget about all the times I've had to use myself as a distraction on missions, Naruto. I haven't exactly kept my hands _or_ lips to myself during those jobs."

She knew she was just riling him up, but she couldn't help it. He was annoying her with his protectiveness. Didn't he know she could take care of herself?

Naruto's eyes almost fell out of his head. "What? You've done those _too_? Why don't _I_ ever get any of these missions?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. Figures he wasn't protective. He was just jealous that she had kissed more people than him. "Because you're about as seductive as a rock."

Sasuke chuckled lightly and Naruto sent him a death glare. "What are you laughing about, bastard? I couldn't ever imagine _you_ seducing a girl!"

Sakura considered this for a moment. It was true that she couldn't really imagine someone as emotionally cold as Sasuke seducing anyone. Seduction required passion, which he sorely lacked. But then again, he didn't _need_ to seduce anyone with _that_ face. He just had to look at them and they'd be gone!

With this in mind, she pointed at Sasuke. "He doesn't _need_ to seduce anyone, Naruto! Just look at that face!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in amusement while Naruto looked on obliviously.

He pouted in confusion. "Nope, don't see it."

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Let me put this in a way that will make you feel better, Naruto. Sasuke doesn't need to seduce anyone because he's so handsome. Most girls will just fall under his spell immediately. But I also think that he _couldn't_ seduce someone if he had to try."

Naruto grinned triumphantly while Sasuke smirked.

"You don't think I can seduce someone, Sakura?"

Sakura jumped in surprise. He hadn't directly asked her a question all day and now he was asking a question like _this_? Her face heated.

"I…I don't know. I just can't imagine it," she answered with a somewhat shaky voice. It was true, all he had to do was look at her and she was under his spell. Such were the downsides of being in love with him. She kind of hated feeling so vulnerable under his gaze, like he could break her any moment he wanted, like he could read her every thought. But she also felt kind of exhilarated; alive.

Naruto grinned mischievously. "I have an idea! Let's test it!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "What are you on about, idiot?"

Naruto's grin grew. "I'm saying that Sasuke should try and seduce you. If he succeeds, we'll both be proven wrong and he salvages his pride. If he doesn't, then you and I are right and we get to rub it in his face for the rest of time."

Sakura gasped and jumped to her feet in indignation and not a little bit of fear. "No! Absolutely not!"

If she could barely stand his gaze, what would happen if he actually_ tried_ to seduce her? What would happen if he _touched_ her? It would be far too embarrassing to stand! He'd know what affect he had on her; she didn't want him to know.

Sasuke smirked. "What are you afraid of, Sakura?" he taunted disturbingly soft but intense voice and an amused gleam in his eye.

Sakura bit her lip and looked away. "Nothing. I just didn't think you would be willing to play one of Naruto's stupid games."

Sasuke slowly stood to his feet and shrugged. "What choice do I have if my _pride_ is on the line?"

Sakura gulped. If he was going to…seduce her…

_No!_

No, she couldn't let him! He could try, but she wouldn't let herself succumb to it. It was only a test, after all. It didn't mean anything. She could do this.

**Just let your professional side take over. You've done this stuff countless times!**

Sakura inhaled and exhaled deeply, calming herself, letting her professional side take over. She had been to kunoichi classes in her chunin days in which they brought in a handsome shinobi who tried to seduce them one by one. If they could see past the seduction and discover the hidden intent, they passed. At the time, she had been young and naïve. She had never experienced anything of that sort. She had never known what it was like to have a man - a handsome man - whisper sweet nothings into her ear as he gently traced her face, her lips. But after a few tries, she had discovered her secret.

Whenever a man tried to seduce her, she just pretended it was Gai and she was immediately turned off.

All she had to do was imagine that Sasuke was Gai and it wouldn't work.

She smiled confidently. "Bring it on."

Sasuke looked down, shut his eyes, and smirked. When he opened them and looked at her, his gaze was that of a predator.

"Sakura." His voice was lower, rougher. It was dripping with raw sexuality and she had to grit her teeth to stop a shiver from coursing down her spine.

He was good, surprisingly good.

But she could handle this. She _could_.

She smiled coyly, let the actress in her take over, squashing whatever emotion she could feel. "Yes, Sasuke?"

He smirked. Instead of it being derisive like it usually was, it was just plain sensual. Without speaking another word he slowly approached her, his eyes never leaving hers. She refused to back down.

When he was about two feet away he stopped and smirked again. He let his gaze openly travel over her. Sakura forced herself to remain emotionless as his unrelenting gaze raked over her body. His gaze pointedly stopped on her chest and his smirk grew. She felt exposed to his dark eyes and had the strongest urge to cover her chest with her arms so he couldn't look anymore.

But instead of giving in, she simply threw her shoulders back which caused her chest to poke out even more. She wouldn't be intimidated by _him_.

He chuckled as his eyes caught hers again. He started circling around her, like a predator circling its prey. It was supposed to unnerve her.

It was sort of working.

_Just imagine its Gai. Just imagine its Gai._

Then he stepped closer and started circling her again. She could feel his chest brush her shoulder, could feel his breath caress her skin. She gulped deeply.

He stopped behind her and stood so close that his chest pushed against her back when he inhaled. His fingers gently brushed her hair behind her ear. His light touch caused pangs of heat to travel down her spine.

Then he lowered his head to the exposed skin of her neck. He inhaled deeply, like he was breathing in her scent. Sakura bit her lip hardly, trying to concentrate on that pain and not his nose lightly brushing the sensitive part of her neck.

Suddenly his lips were by her ear. "You think you can resist me, don't you, _Sakura_?" he whispered in a low voice.

Sakura didn't answer. She couldn't trust her voice.

_It's just Gai. It's just Gai!_

It wasn't working. She could feel the heat of _Sasuke's_ body, could feel _Sasuke's_ breath against her, _his_ muscular chest brush her back. It was driving her crazy.

He chuckled again, against her ear, and then lowered his head again and inhaled deeply like he had done before. "But you can't. You think you can, but it's futile. I can smell your arousal; I can feel the heat of your body."

Sakura's anger spiked. So he thought he could just tell her what's what? She didn't think so!

_Come on, Inner Sakura! I need your help!_

**Right, then!**

Sakura shut her eyes briefly, letting her Inner self take over.

"You're wrong."

Sasuke chuckled again. "Am I now?" He pulled away from her and walked around to the her front again.

He was no longer smirking. He appeared emotionless. She was confused. If he was trying to seduce someone, shouldn't he at least pretend he was feeling something?

And then he caught her eyes with his own and she gasped. His dark eyes were literally blazing with a heat that set her veins on fire.

_Damn it!_

He stepped towards her and she stepped back automatically. The look in his eyes changed. She couldn't place it, but now that gleam had returned, like she was the mouse and he was the cat and he had her cornered.

Sakura inhaled deeply, trying to regain the control she'd lost, but it didn't work. It seemed her body temperature kept rising the longer he looked at her. Then he walked towards her, faster and faster, and she kept backing up until she found herself against a tree.

She really _was_ cornered now.

He smirked and placed his right hand on the tree next to her head and the other hand on the tree next to her waist, not quite touching her but close enough so she began craving the nonexistent contact. He leaned forward – slowly, too slowly - until he braced himself with his elbow. His face was inches away from her now. Sakura grasped the fabric of her short dress to stop herself from touching him, like she _so_ desperately wanted to do.

"What was that about being wrong?" he asked roughly.

Sasuke could barely register what he was saying. Waves of desire were now flowing freely through her body and she had no way to stop it. He had won and he knew it, yet he didn't stop.

He brought up his hand from its place next to her waist and brushed his thumb over her cheek, leaving a trail of tingling fire in its wake. Sakura clenched her teeth and shut her eyes, not being able to stand the emotions that were assaulting her at his touch. She was breathing heavily now, but he seemed as calm as ever.

He took her jaw in his fingers and tilted her head up and to the side. He ran his thumb along her jaw, back and forth, as he brought his head down next to hers.

Sakura gasped as she felt his body settle flush against hers so not one inch of their bodies was separated. Her eyes flew open in surprise.

Sasuke ran his hand down her neck and then back up again to cup her jaw. "Close your eyes, Sakura," he whispered seductively against her ear.

Sakura's eyes shut of their own accord as her body surrendered to the sensations he was causing.

"Say you're mine, Sakura," he whispered.

Sakura inhaled deeply, which caused her chest to push against his. This caused his muscles to flex against her, causing a further state of distraction. And his thumb was still running up and down her jaw line.

"What?" she murmured. This felt way too nice for it to be spoiled by talking, though his voice _was_ doing funny things to the rhythm of her heart.

He ran his hand down the side of her body until it settled on her waist. He gripped it and roughly pulled her against him more tightly. His thumb started drawing circles on her waist.

"I said…" he bit her earlobe and slowly dragged his teeth along it before releasing. Sakura's hands, which had been by her side, desperately gripped at Sasuke's shirt as she tried to control the reaction that devastating action had caused. It wreaked havoc on her nerves and she felt as though her skin was aflame - a sinfully pleasant fire.

"I said…" he repeated once more, "say you're mine and no one else's."

His words caused her heart to contract painfully inside her chest. What was he saying? "I…I…"

He gripped her waist tighter. "Say it," he whispered firmly.

"I'm yours…" she gasped.

"And…?"

"And…no one else's."

Her chest heaved up and down, alternately pressing harder against his chest. She couldn't have pulled away now even if she wanted to.

Sasuke chuckled against her ear. "Good. Now say…say you'll _always_ belong to me."

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. "I'll…I'll always belong to you."

He pulled back to look at her face and smirked triumphantly. "Very good."

Sakura blinked hurriedly. _What did I just say?_

"Okay, well I think Sasuke's proved himself!"

Sasuke blanked his face, pushed himself back from the tree and took a step back. Sakura face heated. She had completely forgotten about Naruto! They had been caught in their own little world…or she had, at least. Sasuke had just been pretending, hadn't he? And she had been too caught up in her desire for him to resist it. He had totally made a fool out of her.

A wave of humiliation washed over Sakura as she looked at the ground. She inhaled and exhaled deeply and few times before she looked up at him again. He was staring at her. What was strange about that was that he had that same heat in his eyes as before when he'd been in the midst of his fake seduction. Her breath caught in her throat. But he had just been faking that look in his eyes before, hadn't he? So why was he looking at her like that now?

Naruto approached Sasuke and slapped him on the back. Sasuke broke his gaze and glared at Naruto.

"Why are you touching me?"

Naruto ignored him and just laughed. "Well, I never thought you had it in you, Sasuke! Sakura's a tough cookie to crack! I mean, I've seen other shinobi try and seduce her, for practice, you know, and she hasn't reacted at all!" He paused to think. "Well, there was that one time…"

Sasuke eyes flashed possessively as he looked back at her. Sakura's throat went dry. _Why_ was he looking at her like that?

She pushed herself up from the tree and laughed lightly, even though it was obviously faked. "Let's not go into that, Naruto!"

She didn't want Sasuke to know she'd almost had a damn orgasm in the middle of shinobi practice in front of a roomful of chunin! It wasn't _her_ fault she'd been horribly inexperienced! She'd only been fifteen!

Sasuke clenched his jaw. "Let's go. We've wasted too much time already."

000

Naruto grinned as he looked between Sasuke and Sakura. The atmosphere was almost crackling with tension! That had been intense! Sasuke totally had Sakura wrapped around his fingers and little did Sakura know - she had done the same to Sasuke.

Sakura probably couldn't have noticed it because she'd been too – err – worked up, but Sasuke had been just as affected by her as she had been by him. Looking from an outsider's point of view, he could see it clearly. Sasuke was definitely feeling a little something for Sakura and after that, he probably realized it now. He'd be a blind idiot if he didn't.

That was why Naruto had suggested it in the first place. He knew it would put Sakura in a vulnerable position, but he hadn't been able to think of any other way to get that stubborn bastard Sasuke to admit to himself that he cared about Sakura in a way that was _far_ more than platonic. Now it was blatantly obvious. Maybe not to Sakura, judging by the bewildered look on her face, but she would find out in time.

It was funny that they always called him the idiot when _he_ was the one who saw the things they were too stubborn to see.

000

Sasuke felt like punching something. Better yet, blowing something up. He wanted to watch his unnamed object of ire break into pieces as it flew into the air. He wanted to see it become utterly and completely obliterated. He just needed some sort of release from whatever the hell it was that he was feeling.

All he wanted to do was touch Sakura. All he wanted to do was push her up against another tree and continue what he had been doing before and this time, not stop.

And it _pissed him off_.

He wasn't stupid. Sure, he was stubborn, but certainly not stupid. He knew Sakura still had a thing for him. He didn't quite know if it was love, but judging by the way she had reacted to him just now it was _something_.

And he felt _something_ for her as well. It was obvious now, at least to him. He should never have seduced her. He'd used his pride as an excuse, but he knew he didn't really care if Naruto thought he couldn't do it.

No, he'd just wanted to know if she _would_ succumb to it. He wanted to know if her heart still belonged to him. He wanted to know if he still meant something more to her than Naruto did, or if not more at least something different. And then as soon as he'd touched her skin, he'd been taken on the ride as well.

He had felt elated when she had gasped and euphoric when she had finally broken. When he pushed her against the tree the feel of her chest pushing against his as she struggled to control her breathing was nothing like he'd ever experienced and when she'd said she'd always belong to him…that had almost undone him. He had almost just given in and kissed her until his desire had been satiated.

Thank God Naruto had spoken when he did. He'd forgotten Naruto was even there. He'd been so caught up in Sakura that nothing else had mattered. And the thought that she'd have that power over him, the ability to make him forget _everything_, was what pissed him off the most. He couldn't believe he'd let himself become so affected by her. He didn't even know when it had happened…it had just _happened_.

And then Naruto had started going on about some time when she had been seduced in training. Sakura had stopped Naruto from elaborating, but he'd already caught his drift. She had probably been in a class to learn how to defend one's self against being seduced and she had succumbed to it in some manner. What he didn't know was what the seducer had done and what kind of reaction he had garnered. The thought that someone could have made her desire them as much as he had made her desire _him_ was enough to put him over the edge.

At least he knew he had that power over her now. And as far as he could tell, she had no idea what affect she had on him. Good. It was going to stay that way.

000

She didn't know what she had been expecting, but it had certainly been _more_. When she thought 'spy contact' she imagined someone with charisma and charm who could talk information out of anyone and casually observe while remaining inconspicuous the entire time.

She had expected him to live in an average house, one that didn't draw attention, but that wasn't a dump either. A house that was simple and smart.

She had _not_ been expecting a dirty old man with a long gray beard and missing teeth wearing rags for clothes and she _certainly_ had not been expecting a house that was more like a run-down shack that was barely holding on.

"Well, hi there, strangers! What can I do for you on this fine day?" he called out cheerfully from the front of his house/shack/dump.

Sakura didn't know why anyone would be cheerful if they looked like _that_. How the _hell_ had Tura met this guy?

Sakura smiled brightly. "Hi! I'm Sakura and this is Naruto and Sasuke."

"Oh, you must be the three Tura told me about. Come in, come in!" He walked inside without waiting to see if they'd follow.

Sakura eyed the shack warily. She didn't even know if it could _fit_ four people in there. But she _did_ want valuable information so…

"Let's go, boys!"

Naruto cringed. "We're going to go in _there_?"

Sasuke walked forward. "Suck it up. We need the information."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Well if bastard over here can do it, so can I!"

Sakura grinned. Sometimes the deep-set rivalry between Sasuke and Naruto actually came in handy.

When she stepped inside the shack, she was surprised to find that it was _much_ bigger than it looked from the outside. It also looked at lot less run-down. In fact, it looked as good as Tura's hut did.

_Um…okay then._

The old man grinned at them. "The few people who come in here are always surprised at its appearance. All of the townsfolk think I am but a simply hermit when I actually run a small spy business. It is the perfect disguise." He performed a number of genjutsu-releasing hands signs and amiss a puff of smoke appeared a young man.

Correction, a _hot_ young man!

Sakura gaped at him. Usually she was able to recognize genjutsu, but she hadn't even been suspicious with this one! He was _good_! And had she mentioned he was hot?

Naruto was gaping beside her while Sasuke didn't look surprised at all.

"I suspected as much. I felt as though a strong genjutsu was being used here," Sasuke stated.

The man smirked. "I thought an Uchiha would be able to see through my disguise, which is why I released it. I usually don't show anyone my appearance. Even Tura doesn't know that I really look like this."

"Then I am honoured you would reveal yourself," Sasuke said in a way that made it obvious he wasn't honoured at all.

_Well I sure as hell am! He's gorgeous! _

No wonder he had to cover his appearance. He'd cause a commotion where ever he went! It was such a shame though…

Sakura smiled at him. "So what's your name?"

The man looked at her and smiled, displaying a row of straight, white teeth. "I've shown you my face and now you want a name? My, aren't you curious?"

Sakura blushed. "I suppose you could say that."

The man laughed heartily. "Well, I won't tell you my _real_ name, but you _can_ call me Ryzuko. That is a name I used to go by some years ago. It was one of my favourites and I'd like it if a pretty woman such as you would call me by that name."

Sakura's blush deepened. _He called me pretty!_

**Yeah, yeah. What do you want? A medal?**

_A little recognition would be nice!_

"Okay then, Ryzuko. What can you tell us?"

He laughed again. "I like a woman who gets straight down to business! Let's sit, shall we?"

He waved at the table and chairs. Sakura and Naruto sat down, but Sasuke remained standing, taking his usually position against a wall in view of all the exits. It was then that she noticed Naruto had stopped glaring at Ryzuko and Sasuke's expression seemed harder than usual.

_What's up with them?_

Ryzuko smiled at Sakura again. "It seems your companions have something against talking."

Naruto sneered. "Nope, we only have something against _you_."

Ryzuko studied Naruto for a few moments before laughing again. "Is he always like this?"

Naruto scowled while Sakura giggled. "Nope, you usually can't get Naruto to shut the hell up."

"What about this guy?" he asked as he tilted his head in Sasuke's direction.

"Nah, he's always like that." But Naruto _was_ a different story. Why was he so grumpy? It didn't make sense! Ryzuko had been nothing but nice and he had given them no reason to mistrust him any more than the healthy amount of mistrust one should hold towards a known spy.

Ryzuko shrugged. "Well, let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Sure thing," Sakura replied, pushing her confusion of Naruto's behaviour aside. At least she wasn't confused about Sasuke's coldness; he was always like that.

"So you want to know more about this guy Sally, right?" Ryzuko asked.

"Yes."

Ryzuko leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. "Well, for starters, his real name is Matsyra Yakugi. He's twenty-eight years old and his country of birth is the Land of Water. When he was six, his father died and his mother moved in with her brother in the Land of Mist, where he became a certified jounin at age nineteen. He spent five years in the police force but after an unknown incident, he resigned and disappeared. It is unknown how he got into the business that he's in or how he came in contact with Orochimaru."

Sakura's eyes widened. He knew so much! "How did you know all this?"

Ryzuko grinned and winked at her. "Because I was in the same squadron as him when we were in the police force together."

Well, that was kind of a let down. "So how old does that make you?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her despite her best efforts.

Ryzuko grinned mischievously. "Why, you interested?"

Sakura flushed. "I…"

He laughed out loud. "Relax, sweetheart, I was only joking! I'm twenty-four."

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" she asked, desperate to change the subject.

Ryzuko leaned forward in his chair. "Course there is! Let's see. Yakugi runs his business through a brothel."

"_What?_" Naruto exclaimed. "How the hell does he do _that_?"

"Well, he uses the girls to receive information. The spies come in, 'hire' a girl, hands the information to her, the girl hands it to the mistress and the mistress hands it over to Sally. It's ingenious, really. It took me forever to figure out how he was getting his information."

"So you've been following him for a while, then," Sakura stated.

"Yeah, sort of. I knew there was a large spy business going on in Urage so I came here to check it out. I didn't know it was Yakugi at first. That's my job, to infiltrate spy organizations. Because my skill with genjutsu is at the top of its class, it is ideal for me."

"So how did you find out how it worked?" Naruto asked.

Ryzuko shrugged. "I had to fake being a female prostitute for two years before I was trusted and recruited to receive illicit information myself."

Sakura gaped. He said it so casually, like it was no big deal. "So you had _sex_ with _men_ for two years straight?" His genjutsu must be damn good if he was even able to change his entire reproductive structure. Perhaps it was a mixture of genjutsu – for appearance – and a transformation jutsu – for touch; absolutely fascinating, if she was right. It was still disturbing as all hell, though.

Ryzuko grinned. "Yeah, pretty much, though I'd get the occasional lesbian."

Naruto gaped as well. "And you just _did_ it?"

He shrugged. "It's a challenge, and I like a good challenge," He said, winking at Sakura, before sobering up considerable to continue with, "but I'll be damned if that damn Yuragi can pull one over _my_ eyes. I want to know what he's up to and I want to bring it all crashing down around his eyes. It's personal now."

Sakura blinked. This guy was actually a little crazy; that was taking childhood rivalry to its limits! "So…um…is that it?"

"Nah. Though he runs his business through the brothel, he never actually steps foot in it. I suspect that his base is located in one of the local bars. I haven't got hard proof, though. I was actually about to disguise myself as a bartender at one of the joints he frequents when I received the message from Tura."

"So does he actually set foot in this bar?" Sakura asked.

Ryzuko nodded. "Yeah, I've seen him there all the time. He always as a drink at the counter." He grinned slyly. "And I've noticed he has quite an eye for beautiful women. He always goes for the exotic-looking ones. They flirt for a bit then he takes them up to a room at the motel next door. It's always the same room, number 325. The bar is called HeyMay's and the motel is called Sleep-a-Lot Inn."

Sakura smirked. For an inn called Sleep-a-Lot, she doubted people slept a lot.

"Do you happen to have a layout of the village that we could use?" It would be a lot easier if they could become as familiar with Urage as possible.

Ryzuko winked at her. "Honey, for you I have anything."

Sakura flushed. She was beginning to suspect that this man was a tiny bit of a flirt. Naruto slammed his hand on the table.

"Then stop flirting with Sakura and get it!" he yelled impatiently.

Sakura glared. "Shut up, Naruto! He's _helping_ us! Would it kill you to show a bit of gratitude?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Ryzuko, "It just might."

She glanced at Sasuke to gauge his reaction to Naruto's outburst - he hadn't said a word this whole time - but he was as unreadable as ever. The only indication that he was still alive was the way he clenched his fist so tightly the knuckles were white. What on _earth_ had gotten _him_ so upset too? She had no doubt that he was indeed upset about something; Sasuke didn't casually clench his fists any old time. He was usually impeccably in control of every facet of his being, always had been.

Ryzuko laughed. "It doesn't matter. I can see he's very protective of you. You're lucky to have teammates who care about you so much."

_Well, one __current__ teammate who cares about me at least._

"I'll be back in sec!"

He went into another room and started rummaging around. Sakura noticed that Sasuke's hand had relaxed as soon as Ryzuko left the room. So he maybe didn't like him either? She wondered why. Maybe it was because his genjutsu was so good and Sasuke didn't like anyone being better than him at anything. Typical male pride.

"Naruto, what the hell was that all about?" she whispered harshly, so Ryzuko wouldn't hear in the next room.

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "He was flirting with you."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "So what? He's not the first guy who's ever flirted with me! I can handle it! It doesn't matter anyway. We are getting the information we need, aren't we?"

"We don't have time for your petty flirting," Sasuke said coldly.

_Oh, so he decides to talk now!_

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well in case you haven't noticed, I'm the one doing all the work! You've barely even looked at him, much less opened your mouth to ask a question!" She turned to Naruto. "And _you_! You haven't even stopped glaring at him! He's going out of his way to help us here!"

At that point Ryzuko returned with a map rolled up in his hand. He set it on the table in front of her and opened it up. Then he leaned on the table next to her, closer than he had to be.

"Now, this is the inn." He circled a square with a black pen. "And this is the bar." He circled the square next to it. At this point he looked at her. Their faces were inches apart. Sakura tried not to feel uncomfortable at his proximity. He was as close as Sasuke had been less than an hour ago and yet she felt none of what she had felt with _him_.

"So where are you guys staying?"

"Motel Urage," she answered despite the hatred radiating off Naruto as he looked on at her and Ryzuko's proximity.

Ryzuko circled another black square and then drew a path from the motel to bar. "This is the fastest route, but you _are_ shinobi so you can jump on the roofs if you need to, of course."

"What is the fastest route from the bar to outside the village?" she asked. Because she had given away most of their money yesterday they no longer had enough money to stay in the motel. Sasuke already knew about this, but she had completely forgotten to tell Naruto.

However, she would much rather sleep outside than have those children sleep outside so she considered it a good investment. Sasuke had said it didn't really matter to him. She knew Naruto would be upset that they couldn't sleep in a proper bed, but once she told him why she had given away their money he wouldn't care either. If anyone had a bigger heart than Naruto, she certainly hadn't met them yet.

So if they were sleeping outside they would have to sleep outside the village limits. This also meant they would need a good escape route, just in case.

Ryzuko drew a line from the bar to a spot outside the village. "This is the fastest route south," he stated, then preceded to drawing exit routes for north, west and east as well.

Sakura stared at the map and smiled. "Thank you so much for all your help."

Ryzuko smiled back. "Is there _anything else_ I can do for you?"

The implication was clear. Sakura blushed. "I…um…"

Ryzuko grinned seductively. "You know, it gets pretty lonely out here sometimes…" He brushed a strand of pink hair back from her face. "And you're a very pretty young lady…"

Sakura's eyes flashed. Sure, he was nice for helping them, but did he really have to hit on her in front of Sasuke and Naruto? And did he really think she was just some easy girl who jumped into bed with a man she just met?

She was just about to push him back with more force that necessary when Sasuke appeared before them in a flash, his hand gripping Ryzuko's wrist to breaking point. Sakura gasped in surprise. She hadn't even seen him coming!

The look in Sasuke's eyes was murderous. "Keep your hands to yourself or you won't have them anymore. Understand?" If his voice was ice it would have given her frostbite, yet warm shiver passed through Sakura at his words. Had he been upset all this time because he also hadn't liked how Ryzuko was flirting with her? But why? She didn't mean anything to him, did she?

Or_ did_ she…?

But she couldn't. It was Sasuke, after all. There must be some explanation for it.

Ryzuko grinned nervously. "Yeah, I get you. _Damn_, you're fast!"

Without sparing Ryzuko another glance, Sasuke grabbed the map from the table and began to walk out the door. "We're leaving."

000

Sasuke looked on as Naruto and Sakura argued. They had transported themselves back to the village after they'd left that bastard's house to save themselves the long trek back.

Now they were planning their next move. He didn't even know what Sakura and Naruto were arguing about, he just knew it was stupid and they were wasting time. He was already in a bad mood from that Ryzuko guy. Who did he think he was, touching Sakura like that, propositioning her like that?

And that she had obviously been flustered by his good looks had made him even more annoyed. _He_ was supposed to be the only one who could make her feel that way.

"We will scout the bar and the brothel," he stated, if for no other reason than to get his mind of its infernal subject.

Sakura and Naruto paused. "What?" they asked simultaneously.

"Though Ryzuko already told us what is there, I believe it would be prudent to check it out for ourselves. For all we know he could be working with the enemy."

Sakura nodded. "It makes sense." She grinned. "So am I pretending to be a prostitute again?"

"No!" This time it was Naruto and Sasuke who spoke together.

Naruto looked at him in surprise before he smiled knowingly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. He hated thinking that that dobe knew something he didn't, especially when it was about _him_.

But nevertheless, there was no way Sakura would be posing as a prostitute. He wouldn't have other men touching her like that, looking at her like that.

"There is no need," he explained. "It took Ryzuko two years to scout the place as a prostitute and we obviously don't have that much time." He glanced at Naruto. "We are all elite shinobi. We can just as easily break into the place and investigate from the shadows."

Sakura nodded. "It makes sense."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, what_ever_."

"Now that we are all in agreement…I have a plan."

"Continue," Sakura ordered, but Sasuke decided to ignore the imperious tone for the sake of expediency.

Sasuke braced his elbows on his knees and placed his fingers tips together - his thinking position. "Sakura and I will pair up and investigate the brothel tomorrow night."

Sakura glared at him. "What, you think I'm not able to do it by myself?"

Sasuke ignored her glare. "No, I'm putting us together so Naruto can create a distraction downstairs." He looked at Naruto. "I don't care what you do, just don't let them find out who you are. You're just a rowdy customer, okay?"

Naruto nodded satisfactorily. "I can do distractions."

Sasuke looked back to Sakura. "While is this happening, we will sneak in. Tomorrow we shall scout the area in the daylight to determine the best escape and entrance route in the brothel. I surmise we will have approximately five minutes before Naruto's distraction is dispelled. Brothels are renowned for efficient security. That means we must move quickly."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "No duh. I didn't become a shinobi yesterday, you know."

_Whatever, __Sasuke thought as he decided to let that too pass. _"Then it is settled. We shall investigate the bar the next night."

Sakura and Naruto nodded in agreement.

"Good. We shall get up seven tomorrow."

Naruto groaned. "Aw, can't we sleep in a bit! I mean, all we're doing is scouting right?"

"Seven, Naruto!" Sakura said firmly. "You're a shinobi. We have to get up early all the time. You should be used to it."

Naruto yawned. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I like it!"

Sakura smirked at him. "Oh, by the way, this is our last night in the motel."

Naruto's gaze snapped up in surprise. "Why?"

"Because I gave most of our money to a bunch of homeless kids." She shrugged nonchalantly, like it was no big deal.

Naruto stared at her a few moments before yawning again. "Yeah, okay. Whatever."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?" he asked, somehow not being able to help himself.

Naruto blinked at him. "Mmm?"

"You just accept it like that?" Sasuke reiterated.

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, I'm used to it. Sakura pulls crap like this all the time. When you're on a mission with her sleeping outside becomes the norm. Besides, the kids need it more, don't they?"

Sasuke was surprised; Sakura did this a lot? Well, by the way she had treated those kids he had assumed she was a somewhat selfless person, but he'd thought that had just been a one-time thing. He couldn't have imagined she gave away her money on a regular basis.

It was admirable and just a little bit attractive.

_First I seduce her because I wanted to see her want me, then I almost break a guy's hand because he touched her, and now I think that the fact she gives her money away is attractive? What is wrong with me?_

Yes, something was seriously wrong, alright…and he wasn't sure he wanted to fix it right away.

**A/N: Hands up if you think horny Sasuke is sexy!**

**I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had writing this chapter! Especially the first bit...grrr. I can't believe that came out of me though! Oh well, there's only more of that to come! MUCH more!**

**The next few chapters will be more focused on Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto getting information about Sally and out of Sally and there won't be as much focus on Sasuke and Sakura's relationship as there has been in past chapters, but FEAR NOT! Their relationship will keep developing and growing, it's just that now I have to add all this other stuff in there as well to attempt to make it all make sense. But I have thought of some great ways to keep it interesting which I cannot WAIT to write! **

**Things are started to heat up now, with Sasuke and Sakura and with the storyline so keep reading! There are better things to come! **


	16. Just Try To Resist It

**A/N: This chapter marks the longest fiction I have ever written! Woo! But sorry for the late update. It's just that this chapter places more focus on what's going on with Orochimaru and Oto and Konoha and all that rather than Sasuke and Sakura's relationship, though I do certainly delve into that. This is another 'means to an end' chapter and I just had to get it out of the way and I was struggling to find a way to write it without making it boring. I hate writing these kinds of chapters. It's so tedious. But I have to write this crap in order for the ups and downs of Sasuke and Sakura's relationship to make sense. But like I've said previously, I'm not really good at this stuff so apologies. Just read it, review, and let me know how I'm doing with it all so I can write the next chapter more quickly. **

**Enjoy!**

**Just Try To Resist It**

_Share with me _

_Cause I need it right now_

_Let me see your insides_

_Or write me off_

_Cause I'd rather stop now_

_If you won't open up_

**_- "Noise and Kisses", _****The Used**

The familiar twist of light nervousness settled in the base of Sakura's stomach as she donned her dark attire. She hadn't been this nervous before a recon mission for years. She'd completed countless missions ever since she became a certified chunin. Recon was the most basic of them all, depending on what or whom they were gathering information from. But a brothel which ran a secret organization? That was basic. She shouldn't be nervous.

But for her, this was no ordinary recon mission because this time Sasuke was her partner. The last time she'd been on a mission with him was in the chunin exams, if that even counted as a mission. The last time they'd really worked together in a unit was in the Forest of Death. Thinking of that time brought unbidden memories to the surface, reminiscent feelings of regret and sorrow; a bittersweet sentimentality. That had been the last time she had felt like she'd meant anything to him, that had been the last time he'd acted as though he wanted to protect her. But after that, Orochimaru and his promise of forbidden power had warped his mind. After that, the encounter with Itachi had left little room for him to care about anything else but power and the dark promise of revenge. There had been no room for her or her petty ideals of comradeship.

And now all she received from him was an odd mix of an intensity of conflicting emotion she didn't understand and the all-too-familiar cold detachment. She didn't know what was happening with him, with them. Somehow Naruto had managed to worm his way back into Sasuke's life just as he had before. She could see the way they regarded each other: the rivalry, the conflicting ideals of how things should be and, underneath it all, mutual respect.

But she didn't know what the relationship between her and Sasuke _was_. At times it was the hardness she had grown used to years ago - the way he pushed her away, the way he kept her an arm's length, even though he protected her. Then sometimes there was this…_energy_ between them. She didn't know how to describe it. It was just…just _different_. It was nothing she was used to, nothing that had been a part of their strange relationship before. It did strange things to her heart. And it scared her. And it exhilarated her.

Any time she spent alone with him, she felt exposed and vulnerable. Any time he looked at her as though he really saw her, instead of that usual hardness, her heart beat just a little faster. She hated and loved the affect he had on her. She never felt more alive than when she was with him, but it hurt because she knew he was leaving and she would once again be dropped into a cold pit of emptiness that he unwittingly created with his absence.

She had told herself that she didn't love him, but her heart had proven her wrong. She didn't think she could love anyone like she loved Sasuke. She didn't really know what it was that drew her to him so strongly, but it was _something_. It was more than his striking looks and cold demeanour. Perhaps it was the way she knew how fragile he really was underneath his hard exterior and the walls he placed around himself. Perhaps it was the way she could see his inner turmoil and knew that his first desire wasn't to be cold and alone, but rather that it was to be noticed and acknowledged and loved. Perhaps it was the way he cared so much, even though he tried so hard to conceal it. Perhaps it was the way he had such a great aptitude to love. Why else would he be so desperate to avenge his deceased clan? Sure, he was angry at what his brother had done, but it was also because he'd loved them so much. It was because they mattered so much to him.

She could see the real Sasuke, the one that would have existed had not the tragedy occurred. Naruto could see it too. That was why they tried to hard to keep him with them. That was why they never gave up on him.

_I can't believe I'm letting him go._

But it was too late now. She had already given her word. She had no choice but to let him go now.

That was why every moment with him was now critical. She wanted to memorize his face, his mannerisms, they way he felt when she touched him, everything about him so maybe he would stay alive in her memory.

Sasuke turned to her, the better part of his handsome face obscured by the black mask she too wore. "Are you ready?"

Even though his face was covered, his voice still twisted her insides. "Yes."

Now was not the time for her to regret and wish and hope. Now was the time to be professional. Now was the time for her to protect her village, her very means of life. She knew she could go on without Sasuke - she had before after all - but she couldn't go on without her village, her people or her friends and that would all be at risk if she didn't find out what Orochimaru was planning. They suspected plans of war, now they just needed proof and she was determined to get it.

She was in turmoil herself. Her sense of duty was battling against the will of her heart. She knew which desire was stronger, but she also knew what desire would win out. Because when it came down to it, a shinobi had to do what a shinobi had to do.

000

It was strange for Sasuke to see Sakura as a completely professional, capable shinobi. Even after seeing her punch walls into existence, she was still the lesser shinobi in his eyes. He was so used to always having to protect her, to watch her back. He was used to seeing her be the one with the brains…and not much else. Now she was not only deeply involved with the strategic planning of a mission, but also deeply involved with execution.

It was already strange enough to encounter a completely focused Naruto. He hadn't participated much in the planning, but Sakura no longer had to explain things five times before he actually got what was going on. Naruto still favoured a straight-forward approach as opposed to Sakura's conniving subtlety - at least Sasuke had gathered as much from Naruto's constant complaints - but no matter how much he complained, he always accepted Sakura's ideas and always ended up following them.

Sasuke was used to a pathetic Sakura and a goofy Naruto, not two experienced shinobi. But even experienced as they were, Naruto still acted like a babbling loser and Sakura still always lost her temper with him. But just as before, Sasuke had voiced his own ideas and thoughts on the mission at hand and Sakura and Naruto had understood him immediately.

At Oto he had never been part of a mission in which his team mates had worked together with him so naturally. That might be because he had rarely worked with anyone or maybe because as strong as Orochimaru's pawns were, Sasuke was better. Maybe it was because he had no history with those men and women. No matter what reason there had always been something about Team Seven that had seemed so right it was perturbing. Nothing was supposed to feel right when everything around him was so wrong and would continue to be as long as Itachi drew breath, but it did.

Whatever. It didn't really matter if things felt peculiarly natural when he was with Naruto and Sakura. They were close to discovering Orochimaru's objective; he was close to leaving them again. But he wasn't really concerned about Orochimaru's objective. He didn't really care if he was planning to attack Konoha again; all he wanted to know was why Orochimaru was trying to hide it from him. It couldn't be because Orochimaru thought he held feelings of sentimentality for the place. Konoha and the life he had there was dead to him - Orochimaru knew that. So the only other thing that Orochimaru could be hiding from him was information to do with Itachi. The thought that the Akatsuki was working with Orochimaru had crossed his mind, but that thought had raised yet another question. Why? And why had Itachi told Sakura and Naruto of his whereabouts? And how had they _known_ where he'd be anyway? Orochimaru had been the only person who'd known where he was going, so therefore Itachi and the Akatsuki must be in contact with Orochimaru. But that brought up another why. Didn't the Akatsuki want to kill Orochimaru? Wasn't Orochimaru supposed to be hiding from them? It was all too inexplicable and he didn't like it one bit. He didn't care about politics or the safety of a country he was no longer associated with - he just wanted to find Itachi and kill him.

But first he had to find out what the hell was going on. Besides, he had promised Sakura and Naruto he'd help and they (at least Sakura) had promised that they'd leave him alone for good afterwards. It would be good to no longer have to worry about them tracking his movements and annoying him with their talk of being a team and all that.

And least that's what he told himself, but what he really felt was much different. It didn't matter, though. Hadn't he always been good with self-delusion?

And now was not the time to be thinking of such meaningless things. It was almost time to infiltrate the building. At this very moment, Naruto was in the common room, starting to create a disturbance. He had no doubt that Naruto would excel at it.

When it was time, he raised two fingers to signal to Sakura. They were crouching down on a large tree branch outside the building, completely dressed in black.

They had monitored the building for three nights now, observing the rounds the guards made and the extent of the security. They had never caught sight of Yakugi, but they new it'd still be prudent to scope out the building if it indeed harbor Yakugi's organization. It was possible that they could find out some information about Yakugi. And even if they found nothing, it would not be a waste of time. It always paid to be cautious when trying to discover information because one false step could lose it all, a concept which Naruto had yet to grasp.

They simultaneously latched onto the wall, using their chakra to stay attached, and proceeded to climb to the roof soundlessly. Usually the guards would be able to sense the chakra being used (they had tested this earlier), but they were currently distracted by Naruto's disturbance. Sasuke could hear the noise Naruto was creating even though he was now on the roof. The only entrance to this building other than the front and back door was the fire escape on the roof. Like usual brothels, it had no windows so the girls would not attempt escape. He had no idea why the fire escape was on the roof seeing as that would thwart any hope of escape from fire, but it mattered little to him.

Once they were inside they pressed themselves against the wall and listened. When they knew it was safe they moved along the wall, religiously sticking to the shadows.

They knew which rooms they didn't have to bother looking in because of the sounds coming from them. It was slightly disturbing to hear the muffled cries of pleasure. He wondered what kind of shinobi would lower himself to work in a degrading place like this. Probably a well-paid shinobi with no compunctions.

He heard Sakura cough awkwardly behind him, no doubt embarrassed by what she was hearing. He turned to glare at her. It was vital that they not make any sound whatsoever. Sakura blinked innocently and he was momentarily taken back by the greenness of her eyes. With most of her face and all of her hair obscured by black cloth, there was nothing to soften the bright harshness of them. They were eyes he could get lost in if he let himself.

But he didn't let himself. Refusing to get distracted, he turned around they continued forward. He used his superior hearing to determine the situation downstairs. Naruto's disturbance had been taken care of and the guards were now returning to their rounds and the customers were now settling back into the rigors of their night.

They continued through the maze of hallways, listening for that one room emitted no sound. In the darkness of the place it felt as though they had walked a lot further than they really had when they finally came upon it.

Sasuke held up his hand for Sakura to stop and placed his ear against the door. When he had determined that no one was inside, he placed his hand over the doorknob and shut his eyes. Strands of his chakra extended from his hand and crept into the lock, dismantling it like his chakra was a lock-pick.

He and Sakura then stealthy crept into the vacant room and Sasuke shut and locked door behind them. He couldn't see a thing in the oppressing darkness so he activated his Sharingan.

"It's safe to talk now, but we must be quiet."

"Obviously," Sakura whispered in reply as she pulled her mask from her mouth. "Finally I can breathe! But it's so dark," she commented as she squinted in the darkness.

"We can't turn any lights on so just focus your chakra to your eyes and you should be able to see adequately."

Sakura gave him a withering look. "Duh. This isn't the first time I've done a mission like this, you know."

Sasuke ignored her and set about searching around the room for any evidence of Yakugi's business transactions. He made his way to the desk that was in the centre of the room and began to sort through the various papers that were haphazardly strewn about. Sakura made her way to the bookshelf and started reading the titles of the books.

His concentration was broken when he heard Sakura stifle her laughter.

"Holy crap!" she whispered in amusement. "You should see some of this stuff! They're all about the various sexual positions and how to heighten sexual pleasure! Jiraiya would love this place!"

Sasuke smirked despite his best intentions - they should really be wholly focused on the mission, but he couldn't deny that he sort of liked Sakura's relaxed air. She had no doubt picked up these habits from Naruto.

"But there's nothing here other than sex books," she continued as she looked up and down the large bookshelf. "I didn't know so many existed!" She turned to him. "So have you got anything?"

He wished she wouldn't talk so much, but there was no point in reprimanding her seeing as she wasn't exposing them to any danger. And she had stayed silent when it mattered the most.

"No. These are just papers concerning the business of the brothel, nothing that relates to the business Yakugi is running. Nothing remotely concerning Orochimaru's plans."

Sakura sighed in disappointment. "And this is the only room they don't use for customers, isn't it?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes. There is a miniscule possibility that they keep information such as that in one of those occupied rooms, to throw off anyone who may be inquiring into it, like us, but we have no time to look through all those rooms. It is too risky and we must not be discovered at any cost."

"So you're saying we should go directing to the source?"

Sasuke nodded once.

Sakura smiled. "So then let's get out of here!"

Sasuke nodded his agreement and made his way to the door, Sakura following closely behind. His hand was on the doorknob when he heard voices.

"Could you believe that kid? He didn't seem old enough to be in a place like this in the first place!"

"I'll say! What a nuisance! It took practically all of us to drag him out!"

_Damn!_

They were the guards, no doubt about it. And they were heading this way. He turned around to Sakura, who had placed her mask over her mouth and nose again. He placed a finger over the lips she couldn't see and she nodded in silent understanding. He pressed his ear against the door and listening further.

"So what is it that the mistress wants us to get?" The first voice asked.

"That ledger book she puts the description of any rowdy customer into in case they turn up again causing trouble so she can press charges if need be," the second voice replied.

That was all Sasuke needed to hear. They were coming in here, and judging by the nearness of their voices, he and Sakura didn't have time to get out of the room.

Sasuke looked around desperately, trying to find an adequate place for them to conceal themselves. Sakura immediately caught on to what he was trying to do and pointed to the top of the large bookshelf. There was a small space in between the top of the shelf and the roof. Just large enough to fit the both of them…probably.

It wasn't the best hiding place, but this room was sorely lacking any others. They couldn't use any concealing jutsu because the guards would sense it straight away. They really had no other choice.

He nodded to Sakura and she jumped on the wall then carefully crept onto the top of the bookshelf, making sure she didn't move it at all. She was lying on her back with her knees up so her feet wouldn't dangle off the edge.

Now it was his turn. It was only when he was about to crawl onto the bookshelf when he realized what position he was putting himself in. Sakura was lying on the top of the bookshelves and for him to fit on there as well he had to lie on top of her.

He must have noticeably hesitated because Sakura raised her head to look at him. "What are you waiting for?" she hissed urgently.

She was right, of course. This was not the time to be worrying about such trivial things.

She put her knees down so he could crawl on top of her. He put a hand other either side of her then his knees. He slowly crawled up her, his body hovering inches over hers. He held his breath, willing his body to not succumb to the desire that was slowly taking over him.

He could hear Sakura's breath hitch as he moved up her body. He could see the way her eyes squeezed shut and he knew their proximity was affecting her as well.

His knees were now resting on either side of hers; his elbows were bracing his weight on either side of her head. Their faces were inches apart. Thank God they were both wearing masks because the desire to kiss her was overwhelming.

Sasuke raised his body slightly and looked down to the end of the shelf. Sakura's feet were slightly hanging off the end. If they guards came in a turned the light on, they would notice immediately.

Sasuke lowered his head next to Sakura's a whispered in her ear. "Sakura, you need to shift up."

He felt a shiver pass through her body as he spoke and would have smirked had it not been for the urgency of their predicament. But he already knew the affect he had on her after what had transpired in the forest those few days ago. It had been on his mind almost constantly, after all.

Sakura nodded and proceeded to shift her body upwards. The only problem with this action was that it caused her body to rub intimately against his. Sasuke fisted his hands and clenched his teeth as her body continued to move up against his. This was the worst kind of torture imaginable.

"That's enough," he whispered hoarsely. He couldn't take anymore.

Now her face was directly under his. He could feel her chest rise and fall as she inhaled and exhaled, he could feel the warmth of her slight body under his, and he could hear her trying to control her breathing. And it caused a heat in his body to flare up and respond to her body. He sorely wished that nothing…noticeable would happen.

The door opened and he was distracted from the sensation's Sakura's body was causing. He could see the silhouette of the two guards in the doorway. To their supreme luck, neither of them turned on the light.

"Stay here, I'll grab the book," one of them said as he made his way over to the desk. He turned the desk light on, but nothing else, affectively keeping Sasuke and Sakura in the shadows.

Sakura breathed a soft sigh of relief and her body relaxed under him, if only slightly. They weren't out of danger yet. Either of the guards could look up at any time and sense that something about those shadows weren't quite right.

He wanted to avoid contact at all costs. He knew he and Sakura could take them easily, but it would be a lot better if they could remain unseen. If they fought, the mistress of the brothel would know that shinobi were snooping around and would definitely tell Yakugi and then Yakugi would be on his guard, making it infinitely harder for them to approach him.

"Got it!" the guard exclaimed as he held up an ordinary looking notebook.

"Good. Let's hurry up and give it to the mistress so we can return to our rounds," the other guard replied.

The guard at the desk turned off the light and they walked out and shut the door behind him, throwing the room into darkness once again.

000

Sakura gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to groan as Sasuke moved above her. The guards were still below them, but she could hardly focus on that with the position she was currently in. She almost wished the guards would find them so she would be relieved from the overwhelming sensations that were threatening to spill out of her at any moment.

_This is torture!_

It was _so hard_ to be _so close_ to Sasuke and not be able to put her arms around him, to kiss him like she so desperately wanted to. Hell, if they didn't have masks on she probably would. Their faces were close enough. All she'd have to do was lift her head and then…

Sakura bit her touch to stop the moan that was rising in her throat at the mental image that assaulted her at the thought of kissing him. And it would be so erotic, on top of bookshelves, concealed by the shadows.

_Since when did I become such a pervert!_

Ino was right. She _had_ gone too long without kissing and now her hormones were working on overdrive. It sure didn't help that she could feel all Sasuke's toned muscles against her.

She wanted this torture to end, but she also didn't want to move for at least two more hours. Screw the mission, this was _amazing_!

The guards finally left the room, locking it behind them. Sakura squirmed under Sasuke, trying to dispel the waves of desire that were crashing over her.

"Sakura, we need to stay here a bit longer in case they come back," Sasuke whispered.

His voice sounded rougher, but that was probably just because of the mask muffling his words.

"You're heavy!" she whispered back. Yes, he was heavy, but it was a pleasurable weight. She was just moving because she needed some release from the pressure that was building in her stomach.

"Deal with it," he replied as his gaze caught hers.

She froze. There it was again - that unfamiliar heat she had experienced when he'd seduced her in the forest. But this time she recognized that look. It was a look men had given her before. He wanted her.

Sakura's heart constricted and the heat in her stomach spread over her body. How was it possible? This was Sasuke! Sure, he'd seemed a little…not himself when he'd seduced her in the forest, what with the way he'd kept going when he didn't have to, what he'd said and that look in his eyes even after it was over with. Maybe his body was just reacting like a seventeen-year-old's body would. He was a guy after all. That had to be it because she couldn't imagine it'd be anything more. It was Sasuke. It couldn't be, not with her.

Then, as if he could see the awareness in her eyes, he looked away.

"Let's go."

"Okay," Sakura replied before she swallowed deeply. Now she kind of wanted to get out of here. The atmosphere was way too intense and she knew she'd do or say something she'd regret if they stayed there any longer.

Sasuke slowly slid down her body, causing more heat to erupt in her stomach, and smoothly dropped off the side of the bookshelves, landing on his feet. As soon as their bodies had separated, the air changed and Sakura no longer felt so…restless.

She jumped down and her gaze ran over Sasuke's body.

But she was still worked up, no doubt about that. If anything remotely like that happened any time soon she wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep her hands off him. She had amazing self-control – a side effect of her renowned chakra control - but she didn't have _that _much self-control. There was only so much someone could take and she was seriously being pushed the limit.

"Are we going to exit the way we planned?" she asked him in order to distract herself from thoughts of pushing Sasuke up against a wall and kissing him senseless.

"No. It is too dangerous now. We'll transport out of here to the camp," he replied. "The chakra signature will be minimal and dissipate quickly."

Sakura nodded. They had made camp about one mile out of Urage next to some cliffs that provided some semblance of shelter. The cliff that they were camped against hollowed in slightly so they could remain virtually unseen and whoever what on watch could sit on top of the bluff and be able to see the entirety of Urage. To make it even better, there was a lake about a mile and a half to the left of the cliffs so they could still wash, though they had to be careful there were no villagers around when they did.

Sakura's attention was drawn back to the present when Sasuke disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Two seconds later, Sakura found herself at their makeshift campsite as well.

Naruto, who leaning against the cliff, grinned at them. "So how'd it go?"

000

Sakura shivered against Naruto as they huddled together under the small alcove the walls of the cliff created. The temperature had dropped drastically that night and even Sakura's sleeping bag wasn't enough to keep out the chill of the icy wind, so she'd moved to Naruto's side, much to his surprise.

He'd wordlessly put his arms around her and pulled her close as soon as he'd felt how cold she was.

She shivered against him.

"Don't tell me you're still cold!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

Sakura shook her head. "No." It was impossible to be cold when huddled against Naruto. It was like he had a built-in heater. His body temperature was higher than the average humans because of the presence of the Kyuubi. As awful as that beast was, she couldn't deny that it did have its advantages, especially on nights like these.

She had shivered because she'd been thinking about what had happened earlier that night when she had Sasuke had infiltrated the brothel. She'd been thinking about the way his body had felt on top of hers. She'd been thinking about the way he'd looked at her for that briefest moment.

"It's Sasuke, isn't it?" Naruto replied.

Sakura bit her lip. "Um, no! What would make you say that?"

She didn't have to look at Naruto to know he was grinning. "Because I know you too well and because you suck at lying."

Sakura sighed in defeat. Sometimes it annoyed her how easily he could read her. Naruto could tell what she was thinking just by what she said or the way she said it. He really was a lot smarter than he acted.

"So what?" she muttered defiantly. She didn't want to talk about Sasuke. Thinking about him nonstop was enough.

"So…how's that been going? I haven't really had a chance to talk to you about it coz' the bastard's always around and he has that super-sensitive hearing and all."

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. How _should_ it be going?"

Naruto shrugged in reply. "I don't know, but you two seemed pretty intense when I told him to seduce you. I mean, I could _feel_ the electricity shooting between you guys! It was totally unreal!"

Sakura's face flamed as her thoughts turned towards that encounter, remembering the way he'd made her feel. "Keep your voice down, Naruto! Remember what you said about his super-sensitive hearing!" The _last_ thing she wanted Sasuke to overhear was her and Naruto discussing the way she felt about him.

"Come on, Sakura!" Naruto whined, whispering now. "After that you can't deny that there's something going on with him when it comes to you! And when you came back from the mission tonight, it was there again - that…_thing_."

Sakura's heart soared at his words and she hoped, oh, she hoped with everything that what Naruto was saying was true, but she knew it couldn't be. The day Sasuke started to feel something for her was the day the sky fell down on their heads. It just wasn't plausible. Sure, she'd seen lust in his eyes earlier that night, but that was also how Naruto had looked at her when they'd made out that time for cover and she knew she was like a _sister_ to Naruto. It was just the way teenage boys' bodies reacted to that kind of thing. She was a medic. She knew all about that biology stuff.

"That was nothing but good old teenage hormones, Naruto. Nothing more," she responded dejectedly.

"But it's gotta start somewhere, right? So what if it starts at physical attraction?" Naruto replied with hope in his voice.

"We'll see, Naruto," she replied to appease him. Knowing Naruto, he wouldn't give up on that hope until he saw Sasuke walking away from them again. "Now shut up. You have second watch in a couple of hours and I want to sleep."

When they had returned from their mission, Sakura had been consumed by an overwhelming tiredness and had requested that they talk about their next move in the morning. Sasuke had offered to take first watch, Naruto second, which meant Sakura could sleep through the night.

It seemed as though the events of the past month had finally caught up with her. So much had happened. She couldn't believe that just a month ago she'd been working happily in Konoha and now...now she was with Sasuke once again, trying to figure out what Orochimaru wanted with Konoha and what the Akatsuki wanted with Orochimaru.

Just thinking about the complications of her mission confused her and she soon found herself drifting off to thoughts of Sasuke, Orochimaru, the Akatsuki and where that left her.

000

Sakura awoke to a numbing wind and an empty space beside her. Naruto had gone on watch and now she was exposed to the harsh elements. Unfortunately the cliffs couldn't block what was coming towards them.

Sakura shivered and tried to wrap her sleeping back tighter around her. It wasn't working. There was no way she'd get to sleep in this cold. Sakura groaned and curled up into the foetal position. This was just great. Not only would she be painfully awake, she'd be freezing as well.

Well, if she was going to remain awake she might as well be warm. There was no point suffering twice as much as she had to. She shut her eyes and felt her chakra start to flow through her body, warming her with its currency and power. She knew that if she kept this up she'd be painfully low by morning, but it would replenish itself easily enough. And _surely_ that was slightly better than getting a horrible cold or frostbite or something.

Oh, how she wished she hadn't given all that money away. But then again, if she hadn't, it wouldn't have been her that was freezing outside - it'd be those defenceless little kids who didn't have any chakra to warm themselves up with. Okay, so maybe she didn't regret it. She just wished she had more money.

She didn't know how long she'd been expending her chakra when a cold voice startled her out of her sleepless reverie.

"Sakura, what are you doing?"

Sakura's pulse rate increased. She had forgotten Sasuke was around, which was a testament to how preoccupied with the cold she was. "Um…what?" she replied smoothly.

"If you continue to use your chakra like that you won't have any by morning," he stated.

Sakura's face flamed and she was grateful she wasn't facing him. Damn his ability to sense chakra usage. She'd thought she was pretty cool until she'd found out he could do it too, and it had probably come naturally to him whereas she'd had to work on it for _years_.

"If I don't I'll freeze, so I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" she bit out with more anger than she felt. She wasn't really irritated at him because he hadn't really done anything other than make her want him. She was more irritated at the situation in general and at herself.

When Sasuke didn't reply she thought he'd stopped caring and had just left her alone to wallow in her misery. Well, she thought that until she felt two arms snake around her from behind.

She froze. Her heart lurched painfully against her chest. She gasped. She could not longer breathe. In that order. The words _holy crap_ repeated in her mind over and over again as she tried to grasp what was happening.

"Um…what are you doing?" she squeaked, surprised she had actually been able to get words past the tightness of her throat, if only barely.

"Keeping you warm so you don't use up all your chakra and become completely useless in the morning," he stated a matter-of-factly, like it was the most natural thing in the world while Sakura, on the other hand, was trying not to hyperventilate.

Sure, she'd slept with him before, but that had happened unconsciously and she had been half-asleep. Now she was wide awake and he was wide awake and they both knew exactly what they were doing.

_Okay, I can't overreact. He's just keeping me warm so I don't freeze. That's it._

"Uh…thanks," she whispered as she stared straight ahead into the darkness.

"Whatever," he replied nonchalantly.

They were silent for a few moments before Sasuke spoke again. "Sakura, you can stop using your chakra now."

Sakura flushed. In her utter state of distraction, she hadn't realized that she was still actively circulating her chakra throughout her body. "Right."

Another pause.

"Sakura, you need to face me."

Sakura could feel her heart beat faster at his words. "Um…what?" That was becoming her standard reply these days, wasn't it?

"You'll still be cold if you keep your back to me," he explained indifferently.

Sakura knew he was right, of course. She was a medic, even though she wasn't exactly acting like it at the moment. She knew that if you kept the front of your torso warm, where all of your inner organs were contained, it would warm up the rest of your body with it.

Sakura cleared her throat awkwardly before she turned around in the circle of his arms. Now she was face to face with his chest, their knees bumping together. It was then that she realized that he had no sleeping bag.

"Sasuke, you don't have a blanket!" she exclaimed in disbelief. Had he really gone all those days without a sleeping bag?

"It doesn't matter. My body is accustomed to survive in any temperature, no matter how harsh," he intoned blandly.

Sakura scowled and put a hand on the side of his face. "You're freezing! Just because you _can_ do it doesn't mean you _should_!"

Her self-consciousness caused by their position disappeared as she went into medic mode. Sasuke removed her hand from his face. "I said it doesn't matter."

Sakura ignored him and started trying to unzip her sleeping bag from the inside. This caused lots of movement, which in turn caused Sasuke to question her.

"What are you doing?" His voice sounded tighter than usual, but she didn't think anything of it.

"Trying to unzip this thing, obviously," Sakura gritted out as she struggled with the thing. It always amazed her that something that should be so simple to do was so impossibly hard.

Sasuke sighed impatiently, removed Sakura's hand from the zip, and unzipped it in one fluid motion.

_Damn him!_

"Happy now?" he asked tightly.

"Almost." She pulled the sleeping bag from under her and threw it over both her and Sasuke. "_Now_ I'm happy."

She grinned triumphantly and curled into a little ball again. She knew this meant Sasuke probably wouldn't put his arms around her again because she was warm enough like this, but he was right next to her and at least now he was warm.

Sasuke sighed. "Whatever."

Sakura smiled at him then shut her eyes, but they shot open again when she felt Sasuke's arms circle around her once more.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she squeaked in a voice that certainly wasn't her own.

"I thought we already went through this," Sasuke replied impatiently.

Sakura stared at Sasuke's chest for a few moments before she smiled and snuggled up against him. "Oh yeah. I remember now." If he was offering his warmth freely, she sure as hell wasn't going to complain.

Sasuke's arms tightened around her, further pulling her against him. Sakura buried her face in his chest and couldn't make the smile on her face disappear. This was how she always wanted it, how it always should have been if she could have her way. She knew it meant nothing for Sasuke. He was just making sure his temporary teammates were okay so they wouldn't hinder him in any way, but for now she'd just let herself pretend it was something more.


	17. Walk Right In, Enjoy the Ride

**Walk Right In, Enjoy the Ride**

_I sit here waiting, wondering, hoping I'll make this right_

_Because all I think about is your hands, your face _

_And all these lonely nights_

_There's a feeling that's screaming in the back of my head_

_Saying it over and over_

**_- "If Only", _****Hanson**

Sasuke awoke to warmth. He had gotten used to waking up to the cool chill of the morning air recently. Because he had not been prepared to depart for an extended mission, he had no bedding, no money, and no change of clothes. He'd wash his clothes the same time he bathed in the cold river a couple of miles out from the camp they had constructed. No big deal. He was used to survival conditions. He considered it training.

This was why he was momentarily disorientated. Instead of being on the hard, cold ground, he was warm and comfortable and he didn't want to move. And then there was that smell, that sweet intoxicating scent that was familiar somehow.

_Ah, that's right…_

Sakura.

It all fell into place as memories of the night before flashed through his head.

He'd come down from his watch to see Naruto and Sakura curled up together. He'd felt that now-familiar pang of possessiveness at the sight, but had dismissed it immediately because he knew their relationship was like that of siblings (not that he should have cared in the first place).

Apparently Naruto had sensed his presence immediately because he disentangled himself from Sakura's grasp, smirked at him for some unknown reason, then wordlessly jumped up the cliff face to take watch.

Sasuke had ignored him and settled down to sleep when Sakura woke. He had immediately become aware of her pointless use of chakra when he could feel the familiar tingling sensation settle on his nerves.

He'd questioned her, she'd replied (sounding pretty pissed off for no apparent reason) and then without really thinking about it, he'd found himself lying behind her with his arms around her.

Even now he wasn't entirely sure why he did it. Even now when he still had his arms around her.

It was just that she had looked so vulnerable and defenceless at that moment, curled up into a ball, head tucked into her chest. It reminded him of how she was back when she was twelve, when he'd actually had to protect her. The sight of her there had brought up those old feelings of protectiveness, even if he only had to protect her from the cold this time.

And then when he had actually put his arms around her…

He could still feel the tidal wave of tenderness that had threatened to undo him. It was more than lust, which he had previously felt, more than mere physical attraction. This was something that went much deeper. And he had to cut if off before it got any further…but he just couldn't seem to move.

Then she'd almost given him a freaking hard on with her incessant squirming, all because she hadn't wanted him to be cold either. Once again her constant selflessness and unnecessary concern for his wellbeing made him want to make her smile…a real smile. It was irritating and completely irresistible.

When she'd thrown the open sleeping bag over them, he'd missed her contact immediately, the feeling of her in his arms and once again without thinking, instantly pulled her back in again. And the look on her face had made it all worth it. That smile…it was one of amazement this time. She honestly had no idea of the affect she had on him and thank God for that otherwise he didn't know what he'd do. It was hard enough resisting her as it was.

And now, with her fists bunched in his shirt, her legs intertwined with his, and her head buried in his chest, he didn't think he'd ever felt so reluctant to complete his life's goal, to leave her again. And that was the most dangerous thing possible. He couldn't let himself be caught up in hopes and dreams of a life he couldn't have. He had to stop this…but he didn't quite know how anymore. He was beyond the point of ignoring her, beyond the point of keeping her at arm's length. It seemed no matter how hard he tried to push her away, she kept on worming her way into his heart and she was starting to grow on him.

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw.

_Shit. I'm falling in love with her, aren't I?_

The thought in and of itself was utterly ludicrous. This was supposed to be _Sakura_ - Haruno Sakura: annoying, pink-haired former teammate who couldn't seem to leave him alone. Now she was Haruno Sakura: beautiful, strong, pink-haired former teammate whom he didn't want to leave him alone.

Sasuke inhaled deeply and forced himself to calm down. He could think logically about this. So what if he was sort of in love with her? It didn't matter either way. She never had to know. If she didn't know, she wouldn't get her hopes up and if she didn't get her hopes up, she wouldn't get hurt. He'd still leave - he couldn't _not_ leave. He had to kill Itachi, no matter what the cost.

_No matter what the cost._

He'd lost his entire clan and survived. Leaving Sakura couldn't be any worse than that. At least she'd be alive. That would have to be enough.

Never mind that fact that she'd probably marry some other guy, have their kids…

_Don't even go there!_

He couldn't expect her to stay true to him when he had no intention of ever coming back. That was just amazingly selfish. Hell, he didn't even know if she loved him at all. Sure, he had the ability to make her want him…but that was only physical.

He wouldn't even let himself think about the way he sometime caught her looking at him or the way she suddenly became so vulnerable around him, almost scared, or the way she had gladly accepted his…err…warmth the night before. It would be easier for him to ignore the fact that he might possibly be in love with her if she wasn't in love with him. Then he wouldn't have to see her hopeful face that tore his insides apart, the smile she smiled only for him that shattered his resolve, or those impossible eyes shining with all the love she felt for him that made him want to just make her happy for once instead of breaking her heart yet again.

_Crap, I'm thinking about it._

Because it was entirely possible that she just might still be in love with him. And the smile she was giving him now did nothing to disprove that theory.

She had rolled out of his arms and stretched out like a cat, exposing a good amount of figure to his dark eyes.

_Seriously not helping._

That smile certainly didn't help matters either. She was getting hopeful again, he could tell. She had every reason to get hopeful after the way he'd acted recently.

"Good morning, Sasuke!" she chirped cheerfully as she rubbed her eyes with her fists.

While her eyes were closed, Sasuke ran his eyes over her rumpled clothing and disgruntled appearance. One side of his mouth lifted into a slight smile before he caught himself and blanked out his expression once more. Usually his bored expression came automatically with years of experience, but it seemed to be becoming harder and harder to maintain around Sakura.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling of the cavern they were nestled in. He should really get up, but Sakura was still lying beside him and he found he couldn't quite move yet.

Then his predicament was infinitely worsened when Sakura put her hands next to his head and leaned over him with that damn smile.

_Remain cold, remain distant. Must not kiss her. _

"What?" he cut out a lot less harshly than he'd intended. It was supposed to be his 'get away from me' tone, but it was shamefully half-hearted.

_Great, now I'm getting soft._

And she still didn't stop smiling.

"Thank you."

He raised an eyebrow as he calmly looked up at her. He was a master at concealing all emotion, after all.

"For what?"

_Please go away before I do something I'll definitely regret._

"For last night."

Sasuke almost shut his eyes in surrender. The way she said that made it sound like they'd had a stimulating night of wild sex.

Now he did shut his eyes. Oh, the images that thought produced…

_I need to control myself!_

He opened his eyes, feigning exasperation. "Whatever. Don't make a big deal out of nothing."

This time he _did _sound as harsh as he'd intended. He hated hurting her, but it was better to do this than give her false hopes and then rip them out from under her at the last moment. So in retrospect, he was kind of being nice…albeit in a really twisted way.

Unfortunately, his callous words didn't seem to work on her this time. She kept on smiling.

"I know, but it meant a lot to me. Thank you."

Sasuke bit his tongue. Those were _not_ the words he needed to hear. He didn't want to know how much it meant to her because it filled his chest with uncharacteristic warmth that made him want to make her happy even more.

And she was still leaning over him, filling his head with possibilities he really shouldn't dwell on any further. Did she even have _any_ idea of what she was doing?

"Sakura…"

"Yes?" she replied with a hopeful lilt.

"Get off," he intoned coldly. He didn't mean to be cruel but…no, wait. He _did_ mean to be cruel. He really had to get away before he did something stupid.

But it seemed not even he could bring down her blissful mood this morning. She didn't seem fazed at all.

"Okay!"

Her face disappeared from his sight as quickly as it had appeared and he found himself staring up at the rocks once again.

_What the _hell_ am I going to do now?_

000

Naruto grinned like a Cheshire cat when Sasuke and Sakura appear. Sakura looked unusually happy, as he'd expected her to be. And Sasuke…Sasuke looked torn.

_Heh, you finally got it, didn't you, Sasuke?_

It was about time that bastard realized that he'd fallen for Sakura. It was so obvious. Naruto hadn't missed the way his usually cold eyes softened when he looked at her. He hadn't missed the look of malice on Sasuke's face when he saw Naruto and Sakura curled up together last night. And then there was the way they'd woken up this morning…

Yep, no doubt about it. The bastard had fallen hard and judging by the look on his face…he knew it.

Sakura, still smiling, grabbed her bag. "Well, I'm going to wash in the lake now. I'll be back soon!"

With one last smile at Sasuke, she glided off into the woods. Sasuke sat down on one of the felled logs and put his face in his hands. He'd forgotten all about Naruto.

He knew he should leave the bastard to wallow in his indecision for a bit, but he had never been particularly patient.

"So…how was last night, eh?" he taunted.

Sasuke looked up blankly. He had to hand it to him…Sasuke really did know how to conceal emotions.

"What are you talking about?"

Naruto snickered. "Like you don't know."

"No, I don't know."

Naruto shook his head in disbelief. "Still denying it to the end, huh? So like you."

Sasuke's blank stare hardened. "Stop talking of things you know nothing about."

Naruto clenched his jaw, good mood cast to the wind. Those words were too familiar.

He stood to his feet. "I know more than you think, asshole."

Sasuke smirked. "Is that so? And what is it exactly that you supposedly know."

Naruto smirked back. "I know that you're in love with Sakura. It's so obvious even _I_ can't miss it."

Before Naruto could blink, Sasuke had him pushed up against the cliff, hand around his neck, his eyes positively radiating with ill intent. Naruto's eyes widened.

_I didn't even see him move!_

"I said…stop talking of things you know _nothing_ about."

His voice promised pain if Naruto went any further, but when had he ever cared about such things?

"Your reaction just now proves it even more. You wouldn't have reacted at all if it wasn't true." Naruto smirked. What's more, Sasuke knew it too.

"It doesn't matter anyway. I'm leaving as soon as this is over."

Naruto clenched his jaw and forced the Kyuubi's chakra to stay concealed within him. "What, you're just leaving again? I thought that maybe…_maybe_ if you loved her you'd want to stay with her."

Sasuke's gaze faltered, "I…I do…" but it was only for a second, "it doesn't matter. None of it matters. I have to leave in order to kill my brother and that's the end of it. There is no room for argument, no room for compromise. That's just the way it is so do everyone a favour and deal with it."

Naruto felt the Kyuubi's chakra rising in response to his anger and once again fought to keep it at bay. The last thing he needed right now was to lose control of the situation.

"Yeah, I get it with your revenge and all that, but what I don't get is why you won't stay! You're strong and we can help you get even stronger! I mean, look at Sakura! Look at me! You can't say that we haven't gotten strong over these years!"

"Strong, yes, but not strong enough. Besides, staying would mean bonds would form once again and they would only serve to weaken me. I need no one else. I am stronger this way."

Naruto felt his nails digging into his palms as his frustration grew. "What the hell are you talking about? Can't you see? You've already reformed those bonds. You and I…we're connected, like brothers. And you and Sakura…now you're connected in a way like never before."

Sasuke's hand tightened around Naruto's throat. "It doesn't matter. I'll just break them like I did before."

Naruto chuckled, despite Sasuke's hold. "Do you really think you can do it? They're stronger now."

Sasuke smirked. "So am I."

Naruto's eyes widened. _He's serious, isn't he? He's really going to leave us again. I…I can't let him do that to Sakura again! I promised I'd bring him back!_

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "If you _dare_ hurt Sakura again like you did before, I _swear_ I will hunt you down a break every bone in your body."

Sasuke released Naruto and stepped back from him. He held his arms out and smirked. "Then you might as well start now because you know that's going to happen." His arms dropped after a few tense moments fraught with challenge and his face grew hard once more. "Do you really think you need to protect her to such a pathetic extent? No doubt she knows what she's doing and if she lets herself get disillusioned…well, that's her fault. Not mine. So don't take it out on me."

"If she gets disillusioned, it's _your_ fault for giving her false hopes, like you were last night."

Sasuke clenched his jaw and looked away. "You needn't worry. There will not be a repeat of last night."

"Damn straight there's not gonna be."

"Are you boys fighting _again_? God, when will it end?"

Their heads turned simultaneously to see Sakura with her hands on her hips, grinning at them. Naruto's heart clenched. She was going to get hurt again. The thought that he couldn't protect her from this one pained him to no end. He hated seeing his smiling cherry blossom cry. And it was always Sasuke that caused those tears. _He_ was the only person who had such an affect on her. She was so strong, but when it came to _him_…she was so vulnerable. Naruto wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her so none of the pain could get in.

"Nah…Sasuke and I were just having a little…discussion."

But the bastard was right for once. She had walked herself into this one and there was little Naruto could do to prevent it.

000

Sakura sighed loudly as the boys argued over something that was most definitely pointless once again. She had been in the best mood possible this morning. How couldn't she have been? She'd woken up at Sasuke was still there. He hadn't left during the night like she thought he would. It had been the best feeling imaginable.

But it had all gone downhill from there.

While she had been walking to the lake, she had stubbed her toe three times. _Three_ times! Sure, she wasn't the most graceful shinobi on the planet, but she wasn't a total klutz either! It was probably her fault though, as she'd been too distracted with thoughts of Sasuke to be aware of her surroundings.

Thoughts like 'I wonder what it'd feel like if we'd done something other than sleeping?' and, randomly, 'I wonder how big his penis is?' Not like it mattered, but a girl could never fully understand the thoughts that entered her brain. The female mind was a mystery, even to her.

And of course she had wondered what this all meant. When they had first caught up with Sasuke he would have never done what he did last night, even if her whole damn face had been blue! He just would have sneered at her for being weak and turned the other way. She couldn't squash the feeling of hope that rose within her. He was changing. So if he was changing, did that mean he'd stay? She didn't dare hope for that…but somehow, she couldn't help it either.

This distractedness had caused her to be attacked by a retarded squirrel who thought her hair looked like an acorn. It was friggin' _pink_, for crying out loud! Maybe it was colour blind or, as she suspected, just plain stupid. Either way, it had latched onto her head with its freaking sharp claws and started gnawing at her skull. After some minutes of running around in circles, screaming, and making general noises of displeasure, she had managed to detach the damn thing from her scalp and throw it in some bushes about five kilometres away. She couldn't be sure. Like she had time to think about such trivial things while being attacked by a rogue squirrel!

After that she hadn't been able to enjoy her bath. She couldn't help but feel that the rabid squirrel was in the bushes, watching her with malicious intent. Sure, she had thrown it a fair distance away, but those little buggers moved fast! She could almost _feel_ it gluttonously eyeing her pink locks. She'd washed herself as quickly as possible and made her way back to camp, feeling slightly better because she was going to see Sasuke again…just to find him in a fight with Naruto. And they had looked _pissed_. Sure, Naruto had tried to pass it off as nothing, but she had known it was serious and she'd had a feeling it had been about her.

Her suspicions had been intensified when Sasuke proceeded to practically ignored her for the rest of the day. Sure, he'd never really sought out her company (besides last night), but now he was so obviously not looking at her, not touching her, and not talking to her. It was _so_ immature and it was _really_ pissing her off!

She couldn't believe he had the nerve to act like he had last night and then completely and utterly ignore her the next day! What, were they in some lover's quarrel or something? Had she done something to offend him while sleeping? Well, it was entirely possible that she had felt him up or something in the midst of her racy dreams, but he hadn't moved or woken her! And if she had done something to her, he shouldn't just ignore her; he should tell her what it was so she could fix it! He was so _stupid_!

And it was killing her. All she wanted to do was be near him, to touch him, to hear his voice…but it looked like that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Or anytime at all.

And _what_ were they arguing about now?

"I say we should just barge into the place and beat him up! There's no way he could defend himself against the three of us together!" Naruto yelled as he slammed his hand against the sand to prove his point, effectively destroying the map Sasuke had drawn.

Sasuke looked back at him blankly, like Naruto wasn't anything more than an irritating child. At the moment, that wasn't too far from the truth.

"Don't be so impatient. Even if we do capture him by force he is bound to have systems in place that would alert his subordinates to the situation, which would cause problems for us. We have to go about this naturally, casually, and with great subtlety. What makes you think he'd talk anyway? We can only threaten him with pain and to an experienced shinobi as he appears to be, that isn't nearly enough to make him talk."

Naruto glared. "So what do you think we should do, Oh Mighty Sasuke?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. Naruto sure wasn't doing any favours for himself.

Sasuke ignored Naruto's amateur insult and gaze at him evenly. "We need to go undercover."

Naruto looked at Sasuke blankly. "Huh? How?"

Sasuke smirked. Sakura grinned. She knew exactly what kind of undercover Sasuke meant. This was right down her alley. She had done numerous undercover missions like that. There was a reason she was always picked to do them - she was good at it.

"Naruto, you will use your usually worthless Sexy no Jutsu to transform into a girl and seduce the secrets out of Yakugi."

Naruto and Sakura gaped at him, for entirely different reasons. Naruto probably because he so surprised Sasuke had suggested such a thing, something that was right up Naruto's alley in level of ludicrousness. Sakura because she _knew_ that it wouldn't work and because she was _so pissed_ that Sasuke would just pass over the shinobi on the team who was an _actual girl_.

_That's it! Sasuke has a thing or two to learn about my abilities!_

Sakura stood to her feet and glared down at him. "_I'll_ do it."

000

Sasuke felt like throwing Naruto into the nearest tree. He was that frustrating and was acting like a spoiled brat. Sasuke knew it was because of their earlier 'conversation,' but did Naruto really have to be so immature about it?

And to top it off, Sakura was glaring at him like nobody's business. No doubt she was incredibly pissed because of the way he'd been treating her all day as they had observed the bar Yakugi frequented.

Maybe he had gone a little far and made it a bit obvious he was avoiding her. When they had decided to enter the bar to ask questions, he made Sakura stay outside to keep watch, subtlety insinuating that she didn't look old enough to pass for eighteen. And once they'd found out from patrons (using his genjutsu) what time Yakugi always frequented the bar, he had not told Sakura until she had been forced to ask Naruto to tell her. Then for the rest of the day as they had been planning how to proceed, he hadn't looked at her or spoken to her.

Now they had half an hour to go before Yakugi was likely to appear and Naruto was opposing every plan he made. The best plan of action was obvious. Ryzuko had said Yakugi's weakness was exotic girls. He'd take one to a room in the motel next door almost every time he frequented the bar. All they had to do was seduce the information out of him. It carried the risk of failure, but it was their only option. They had read through Ryzuko's files on Yakugi - he was no throw-back shinobi, but every shinobi had their weakness and this was Yakugi's. All Naruto had to do was use his idiotic jutsu, flirt a bit, say the right things…

"_I'll _do it!"

Sasuke looked up to see Sakura standing above them, determination written all over her face. His gut twisted. There was _no way_ he was going to let Sakura seduce him - _no_ way.

He raised an eyebrow in amusement. "You?" he asked, as though the very notion was ridiculous.

Sakura smirked down at him. "Yes, _me_."

Sasuke slowly stood to his feet feigning indifference. He never did like look up at people.

"And what makes you think _you_ could do it?"

Sakura's smirk grew. "There's no way _Naruto_ could do it. For starters, I doubt a shinobi of Yakugi's calibre would be fooled by such a simple ninjutsu. And like I've said before, Naruto's about as seductive as a rock and that's with _girls_. I don't even want to think of how much of a disaster it would be with a _guy_."

"Hey!" Naruto protested, but Sakura ignored him.

"I am clearly your best choice here and there is no reason why I shouldn't do it. I don't need to use any jutsu and unlike Naruto, I have tons of training and experience with these kinds of undercover stunts."

Naruto sighed on the ground. "That's true, I suppose."

"And," Sakura continued, "I have a sure-fire way of extracting the information out of him. Tsunade and I prepared a drug that loosens one's inhibitions completely. It's better than alcohol; it's like a truth serum but not quite. It's more like an aphrodisiac of sorts. If I give him that he'll want me _so much_ that he'll do or say _anything_ to have me. It has not failed yet."

Sasuke's gut twisted further into an impossible knot of apprehension. Just the thought of a man wanting Sakura _that_ much that he'd do _anything_...The thought of her seducing another man was hard enough to stomach, much less _that_…

_Maintain control._

"That's all good and well, but if you give him an aphrodisiac won't he stop at nothing to have you? How will you stop him then? You'll end up being ravaged and have no information to show for it."

He said it in the most scathing tone possible, so hopefully she'd give up her silly ideas of putting herself in the hands of another man like that.

It didn't work.

"Sasuke, I think you play light of my medical abilities. I can easily severe the nervous system at any point, rendering whatever part of the human body useless. Think of it like the Hyuga's unique taijutsu to stop the flow of chakra, except I can stop the flow of messages going to and from the brain. He wouldn't be able to ravage me unless I let him. Sure, he will be aware that I am a shinobi at that point, but in his fevered state he won't care. All that will be on his mind is having his way with me and in order to do that, he'll tell me anything I want."

Sasuke clenched his fists as he tried to think of a way out of this, but she had covered all the bases.

_Damn!_

Naruto stood up and draped an arm over Sakura's shoulders. "You shouldn't underestimate her, Sasuke. She's gotten information from the toughest of men. There's no way I could do a better job than her, though I _do_ think I'm a bit more seductive than a rock."

The fact that she had done this kind of thing before did nothing to improve his temper. But it looked like he didn't have a way to avoid this one. He didn't want any other men touching Sakura, but what choice did he have? It was going to happen sooner or later anyway. Right now, getting information was foremost in his priorities.

"Fine."

Sakura grinned triumphantly and turned to Naruto. "Naruto, get The Pack!"

Sasuke raised a questioning eyebrow. The Pack? What the _hell_ was that?

Naruto groaned. "Not that thing again!"

Sakura smirked at him. "And you said we wouldn't need it! I told you, Naruto! It always pays to be prepared."

Naruto trudged off to the packs, leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone. Sasuke groaned inwardly.

_Now what am I supposed to do?_

But all thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Sakura reached under her dress and pulled her tights down, exposing a tantalizing amount of thigh to his unsuspecting eyes.

He watched in shock as the shorts fell about her ankles and as she stepped out of them. Now all her legs were practically bare to his gaze. All that was covering them was the material of the dress that left little to the imagination. The back just covered her ass and the splits in the side went so high, he was sure than anyone would be able to see the edges of her underwear when she walked.

His throat went dry and his mind went blank as his eyes tried to process what it was seeing. He needed to stop her before he had an embarrassing reaction to her lack of appropriate attire.

"Uh…Sakura? Um…err…what are you doing?" He couldn't remember ever stuttering before. He couldn't remember ever being at such a loss of words.

Sakura smiled at him innocently. "Why, I'm just preparing for my mission! Do you have a problem with that?"

He could hardly tear his gaze from her long, toned legs and what's more, she knew it. He could tell by the look of satisfaction of her face.

"No. Continue as you were."

He turned his head away so his eyes would no longer be tempted, but as soon as he heard the sound of the zipper his eyes crept back to her enticing form. She had now pulled the zipper of her dress down to her bra-line, exposing the edges of her lacy bra and a good deal of cleavage.

_Holy shit…_

"Is something wrong, Sasuke?"

_Damn. I was staring at her again, wasn't I?_

He opened his mouth to reply to her question, when Naruto bounded back into view. He openly ran his eyes of Sakura and smirked.

"Guess you wasted no time getting into character, huh?" he commented.

Sakura grinned at him. "You know how much fun I have doing this! Now, do you have The Pack?"

Naruto sighed and held up a small duffel bag, not unlike any he'd seen before. It was completely standard.

_What the hell?_

Sakura grinned and took the bag off him. She rummaged around in its contents before pulling out what looked like a make-up compact.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in surprise. _She really does come prepared for this kind of thing. What else does she have in there?_

He didn't have to wait long to find out. As soon as Sakura had applying her make-up, she took out a bottle of what looked to be perfume and sprayed her with it.

"I couldn't even seduce a man like Jiraiya if I smelled of sweat and dirt!" she exclaimed as she saw his disdainful gaze.

Naruto chuckled. "You'd be surprised."

Then she brought out a pair of red high heels that looked like they could decapitate a man. In her hands, they probably could. She turned to Sasuke and pointed to the heel.

"I store the vial of potion in the heels so even if he manages to remove my clothes before I inject him, he still won't find it," she explained casually, like the thought of a man taking her clothes off didn't matter.

He, on the other hand, was barely rooting himself to the spot. He wanted to grab her and demand that she never touch another man and that she never let another man touch her, much less remove her clothes.

_Control. Control. Control._

He looked at Naruto and saw him smirking at him. Sasuke cursed under his breath. Naruto obviously knew how hard this was on him and was enjoying it immeasurably.

And then Sakura smiled at him and took his breath away. She looked absolutely stunning and incredibly sexy and it was all he could do to fight down the reaction that was coming. There was no way any guy could resist her right now. She was exposing all the right amount of skin and to top it off, she was adopting a mysterious, seductive expression. Her red lips were tilted slightly, her eyes narrowed just that little bit and her body stance promised a night of passion.

He had to bite his tongue to stop himself from doing anything he'd regret later. And the worst was yet to come. But if any guy other than Yakugi dared touch her, they were dead. He almost wished some guy would dare just so he could release his frustration.

Sakura smirked. "So, let's go already!"


	18. Burning Up

**Burning Up**

_I just want you to know_

_That I've been fighting to let you go_

_Some days I make it through_

_Then there's nights that never end_

**_- "Just Want You To Know", _****Backstreet Boys**

It was cold. It was uncomfortable. It was stiff. It was hard to walk in high heels. It was hard not to grimace in pain. She felt unduly exposed to lingering eyes. But it was all worth it just to see that look on Sasuke's face when his eyes had settled on her scantily-clad body. He had looked surprised first, amazed second, then worked up third. So she knew she must look alright if she could get _Sasuke_ to react to her appearance! She knew she was reverting to dirty tricks, but he _so_ deserved it after treating her like crap all day! And the way he had looked at her…it had sent shivers down her spine. Even now it haunted her memory and it was all she could do not to go back just so she could see that look again; it made her feel hot all over.

But no, she had to complete her duty first. The mission always came first. She was a professional, and this routine was kind of fun to perform.

When she first started doing these kinds of missions she felt bad that she enjoyed it, like she was some kind of slut. But then she figured that she didn't have to hate her job just because she was a shinobi. That was stupid. Naruto enjoyed everything about being a shinobi, so why couldn't she enjoy the finer points too? The fact that it was seduction made little difference.

And it wasn't so much the physical side that she liked. Sure, sometimes she got a good looking target so the physical side wasn't terrible, but more often than not she got some fat ass pervert who needed to lose a few pounds and have at least five consecutive showers. How was that at all enjoyable?

No, it wasn't the physical side at all - it was the power. When she dressed and acted a certain way, she had a sort of power of most men. They looked at her, she smiled at then - they were hooked. Then she did and said exactly the right things so they were wrapped around her finger and bent to her will without even knowing it. To be able to do that to a man was elating because men were usually the ones who did that to women, in most generalised terms. A lot of men did and said the right things so woman would fall head over heels and give them their heart and then they would just crush it and move along. Sure, not every man was like this, but there was more than a few and it made her feel good to not be on the receiving end. It felt _good_ to switch the roles.

Sure, it was probably a little heartless and that made her feel somewhat guilty, but she never did such things to men unless there was a good purpose behind it. She knew what it felt like to have her heart crushed - she didn't wish that upon anyone. And besides, she wasn't making men fall in love with her, she was just making them want her - big difference. What she did was easier. Men thought first with their balls and then with their brains, maybe with the exception of Sasuke and Neji, but they were unusual cases. Maybe it was a clan thing.

Sakura cleared her mind and stepped into the bar, immediately scoping about for Yakugi. When she spotted him she did not pause but continued looking around until her eyes settled on the bathroom. She made her way to the ladies', fully aware of the looks she was getting as she walked through the throng of people. This was by no means a men's only bar; there were many attractive women around, but she just stood out because of the way she was walking, what she was wearing, and her unusual pink her. Exotic, just what Yakugi liked.

It wasn't only just looks that got a guy's attention, it was also the way one carried themselves. Sakura had to have a certain air of confidence about her. There was a certain way to walk, one filled with purpose. She had to know where she was going at all times and she couldn't falter. This was a hard feat in the heels she was wearing, but she had a lot of experience fraught with a lot of mistakes to back her up – she knew exactly what not to do now.

She smirked inwardly when she saw Yakugi follow her movements out of the corner of her eye. So, her guess had been correct after all.

Once she was in the bathroom she went through the routine of checking her make up and fixing her hair, strategizing the whole time. Usually when she did a mission like this it was a specifically requested one, already planned out. It wasn't a spontaneous decision, which meant she had time to do some research on her target, observing him, his characteristics and ultimately, what kind of woman he liked most.

Most guys liked brainless, slutty bimbos they could screw senseless and then drop the next day. It was kind of fun to act like one of those, to just let loose like that. She didn't have to worry about neither what she said nor what she did so much; she just had to be very touchy and very available.

Then there were the freaks of nature that had certain fetishes. There were guys who liked little girls, guy who liked older women, and guys who liked it feet above all things. That grossed her out more than anything. Fortunately she hadn't done many of those at all.

And then there were guys like Yakugi who liked a challenge, or so she suspected anyway. These were her favourite to perform because it was a challenge for her as well. With these sorts of men she had to read their body language and react to it accordingly. She had to appear interested but not too interested. She had to appear mysterious so the target would be intrigued and want to figure her out. With these kinds of men it really was the art of seduction. The risk of detection was higher, but so were the rewards if she carried her role out to perfection.

This kind of thing didn't come easily for her. She often had to think about what she was doing, she couldn't just go along by feeling or instinct. But fortunately for her, she had had the best teacher for things such as these.

Ino.

Yes, Ino was a seduction professional. She knew all the ins and outs of how to get a man to want you and she had taught Sakura well.

She stepped out of the bathroom and was immediately greeted with the sight of a small group of men smiling at her.

She raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?" she asked coyly, dropping her voice lower so she appeared older and more mysterious. She'd found that little things like that actually did make a difference.

One of the men gave her what he thought was an enticing grin. "We were just wondering if we could buy a drink for the loveliest lady in the room."

Sakura's mouth tipped slightly in a sardonic smile. Inside she was cracking up. This was the funniest part of this kind of thing. If only they knew she was just seventeen…

"Sorry, I only play with men," she replied smoothly and side-stepped around them, leaving them gaping after her.

Her eyes sought the place she had seen Yakugi sitting at earlier; just to find that he was no longer there. Slight panic gripped Sakura.

_Don't tell me I missed him!_

This was not good. There was no telling-

"So you only like real men, huh?"

Sakura twirled around in surprise at the low voice in her ear to find none other than Yakugi standing behind her. Sakura recovered in a millisecond smirked. He was more forward than she thought he'd be.

And more handsome too. Though he didn't come close to, say, Neji's level, he was about Yamato's level, which definitely wasn't bad at all. However, his good looks didn't change the fact that he was a dirty crook for dealing directly with the likes of Orochimaru, if they were correct in their assumptions, at least.

Yakugi's mouth tipped in a confident half-smile. "Sorry, did I startle you?" he inquired smoothly in dulcet tones that almost, _almost_ caused her toes to curl in response.

_Oh, he's good…_

One side of Sakura's mouth lifted into a responding half-smile. "I'm afraid you did," she replied flirtatiously, though being careful not to overdo it.

Yakugi leaned closer to her face and smiled. Sakura vaguely noticed that he smelled really nice.

"Then let me make it up to you."

Sakura feigned confusion. "And how would you do that?"

Yakugi's smile grew as he stepped towards her, causing her back to press against the bench behind her. He put a hand on either side of her on the bench to support himself as he leaned forward until his mouth was by her ear. She was immediately reminded of the time Sasuke had placed her in a similar position in the forest and had to fight her instant reaction. She had to keep a cool head and think her answers through.

"Let me show you how _real_ men play," he whispered lowly in her ear.

A shiver passed down Sakura's spine. Yep, he was good alright, but she wouldn't fall for it so easily. She knew he was just testing her reaction.

She put a finger on his hard chest and pushed him back slightly, smiling softly in amusement. "Slow down, cowboy. You have to buy me a drink first."

A satisfied grin appeared on his face and she knew she had done well.

"Then by all means, let me buy you a drink."

Sakura smiled contently. She was in.

000

Sakura had told them to wait outside. Sakura had told them to remain hidden and be prepared in case she encountered trouble. Sakura had said they didn't have to worry, she could handle this herself.

And that's why he was agitated beyond belief. He was literally _itching_ to just go inside and see what they were doing. And worse still, he was stuck crouching in some bush with Naruto.

"Psst."

Sasuke ignored him.

"_Psst!_"

He still ignored him.

"Oi, Sasuke!"

What the hell did he want, anyway?

"I'm talking to you, bastard!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration. "I know, I'm just not answering you."

"Why not?"

"Because I know whatever it is you want to say is going to be annoying."

"How do you know that?"

Silence.

"Well, do you want to hear it anyway?"

"No."

"I was just going to say that I'm surprised you've lasted so long."

Sasuke was right, it was annoying.

"Once again, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sakura, obviously! Man, I bet you must be _dying_ to go in there and see what she's up to!"

Yes, he was, but there was no way he was going to tell Naruto that. "Just shut up and pay attention."

"Like you're paying attention? Right. I can see the way your fist is clenching. I know you're distracted."

Sasuke looked down at his fist and was surprised to see that it was indeed clenched and now that he was aware of it, it was starting to hurt. Had he really been that distracted?

"It's clenched because I'm getting ready to punch you in the face."

"Whatever." Pause. "Well, I know I'm distracted. I mean, unlike you, I know what actually goes down on these types of missions."

Sasuke scoffed. "Why, because you've done so many?"

Naruto scowled at him in the darkness. "No." Then it changed into a smirk. "Because I've seen Sakura in action. Trust me - it's a sight to see."

_Just ignore him and he'll go away._

"Sometimes she acts like a complete slut and practically throws herself all over the guy, flashing her cleavage in his face, kissing him constantly, touching him…"

Sasuke clenched his teeth. _Just don't listen to him._

"And then there are the guys that like women who play hard-to-get, like Yakugi. She likes those ones the best because she can flirt a bit, ease into the physical stuff and utterly seduce them by saying and doing all the right things. But those ones are also the most difficult because once she gets them to take her back to a room she can't just immediately give them the drug - she has to play around a bit to keep the charade up, especially with shinobi like Yakugi, who would sense any foul play immediately."

_Don't listen! Don't listen!_

"I think the furthest a guy's gotten her is to her underwear, but the more astute the shinobi, the more cautious she has to be - meaning more clothes come off. And for a shinobi like Yakugi? Hm…well. He might just get her down to her birthday suit and there's no telling when she'll have a chance to inject him. And then she has to wait a bit for the drug to take effect…it all depends on how strong the shinobi is. It could be five minutes, or it could be up to twenty. And they won't exactly be sitting around that whole time…"

_That's it!_

Sasuke stood up and strode out of the bushes, brushing himself off as he went.

"Oi, Sasuke! Where are you going?" he whispered loudly.

Sasuke paused in his steps and, without turning around, answered Naruto in a cold voice. "I'm going in there."

He knew that was what Naruto had been aiming for all along, but at that moment he couldn't care less. There was no way any guy was going to touch Sakura like that without paying for it afterwards.

000

All was going surprisingly well. Sure, she had to continuously pull down her dress so she wouldn't flash the entire bar, but she and Yakugi were flirting lightly and bantering with subtle innuendo. It was quite an enjoyable discussion and she could tell he was more than a little interested his caution was slowly chipping away. Yep, all was going well alright.

At least until Naruto and Sasuke walked in.

She almost spit out her drink all over Yakugi, but managed to save it just in time, choking on it instead. Not much better.

_What the hell are they doing here? I told them to stay outside!_

Sure, she had let Naruto come in on the occasional mission if the target was particularly formidable - it always paid to have back-up like Naruto - but that was okay because Naruto could blend into any situation and easily become part of the ground. He'd join a conversation with a few other men, start drinking and talk loudly, keeping an eye on her the whole time.

But Sasuke stuck out like a tree in the desert. There was just something _about _him that made people look and wonder. As soon as he walked in the room the people in there were aware of it. Not to mention he was incredibly good looking; his was the face you didn't _want_ to stop looking at.

Yakugi eyed her with concern. "Are you okay? Do you know those guys?"

Sakura shook her head as she recovered her breath. "No, I just thought one of them was my ex-boyfriend for a second. That blond hair just caught my eye."

Yakugi nodded in understanding as he looked over at Naruto and Sasuke who had sat down in a booth. "You know, they look kind of familiar. Especially the one with the dark hair. You'd think I'd remember a face like that."

Terror gripped Sakura's throat. It was entirely possible that Yakugi had seen Sasuke at Oto when he met with Orochimaru, or, even more likely, in the bingo book. Sasuke was on page sixty-three (she had looked at it enough times to have memorised every word on that damnable page).

_Not good! Not good!_

Yakugi shook his head and looked back to Sakura with a smile. "Well, it doesn't really matter at any rate. I don't like to space off when I have a beautiful woman sitting right in front of me."

Sakura laughed and relaxed, Sasuke and Naruto forgotten. "Is that so?"

Yakugi grinned mischievously, took her hand and kissed it. "It is." Sakura laughed in merriment. "Now, tell me about this ex-boyfriend of yours."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Curious?"

Yakugi grinned. "Very. I want to know what kind of guy gets your attention."

"Well, not his type. He was too loud, too needy. The possessive type. That's why I was nervous when I thought I saw him. He's the type that would cause a scene and I didn't want that to happen, especially not when I'm having such a good time."

"I see. And are you looking for another relationship now?"

Sakura smiled with care and shook her head. "No, not for a while. I just want to enjoy being single and enjoy having a good time, no strings attached."

"And how is that working for you?"

Sakura shrugged and took a drink of her sake. "It's okay. I mean, I enjoy the freedom and being able to do as I please, but I was surprised at how…um…how should I say it?"

Yakugi smiled knowingly, "I'm all agog with curiosity."

Sakura laughed lightly, "Let's just say my bed is very cold at night."

Yakugi laughed. "And how long as your bed been cold?"

Sakura smiled. "It's been a month now and – if I may make a very forward comment - I haven't even kissed a guy! It's a strangely bereft feeling and I'm afraid my hormones have started punishing me for it."

Yakugi smiled mischievously. "Really now?" He reached out and fingered a lock of her hair. "And what about this hair of yours? Is the colour natural?"

Sakura smiled coyly and put her hands on his knees, leaning forward until her mouth was at his ear. "Maybe you'll find out sometime, if you're a good boy," she whispered lowly, the message more than clear.

Yakugi smiled knowingly. "Is that an invitation, my dear Yuri?"

Sakura drew back a slightly and bit her lip thoughtfully. "I don't know. It could be."

"And what if I said we should get out of here."

Sakura grinned; now they were getting somewhere. "I'd say give me a good reason why I should."

Yakugi matched her smile with one of his own. "Then I'd say you don't need a reason. What would you say after that?"

Sakura licked her lips slowly. This was it. "I'd say convince me."

Yakugi grinned. "Not a problem."

000

Sasuke was beginning to doubt the wisdom of coming inside. First, practically the whole bar had stopped to stare at them when they'd walked in, including Yakugi and Sakura, who had almost choked. Once again he wished he could blend into the surroundings a little more. That was why Orochimaru never sent him on undercover missions unless he was supposed to stand out because there was no way he could remain unnoticed for long. And he was ideal for seduction, frustratingly enough. He had yet to encounter a target that lasted more than two minutes before they started wanting to rip his clothes off - literally. It was most annoying.

Secondly, it was a lot harder to remain calm than he had imagined. He'd figured he'd feel a bit possessive and want to punch the guy until he was a bloody pulp. He didn't think he'd want to walk over there, tear Sakura away from him and then rip the guy's head off.

Sakura sure wasn't helping matters with the way she was acting. Her hand would brush past his, her knee would bump his and stay there, she'd smile coyly and bite her lip, and she'd lean forward and whisper something that would make him laugh, giving him a good view of her assets as she did so. And Sasuke could tell that Yakugi was enthralled by her, by everything about her. And it wasn't just Yakugi. Sasuke hadn't missed the way the bar's male occupants would glance at Sakura every now and then, running their eyes over her enticing form.

"Whoa, calm down, Sasuke! You look like you're about to murder someone!" Naruto said, interrupting his frustrating train of thought.

He _was_ about to murder someone. Rip them apart, to be more precise.

"Shut it, dobe." If Naruto started goading him again there was no way he'd be able to keep himself from actually going over there. Just seeing Sakura flirt shamelessly was hard enough.

"But-"

Sasuke glared at him with the full force of his anger. "Do you want me to stuff up this mission?"

Naruto looked taken back. "Uh…no?"

"Then don't say a damn word."

Naruto laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "No problem!"

Satisfied that Naruto was finally going to shut the hell up, he returned his attention to Sakura and Yakugi and gripped the table at what he saw. Sakura was leaning towards Yakugi, hands on his knees, whispering something in his ear. And judging by the look on Yakugi's face, it was most definitely something to do with sex.

Sakura pulled back and he'd just about relaxed when something infinitely worse happened.

He kissed her.

Yakugi kissed her. He kissed Sakura. _His_ Sakura. And he wasn't just kissing Sakura, she was kissing back. Fervently.

Yakugi cupped her face and Sakura leaned forward as much as she could, balancing herself with her hands on his knees once again, and they kept going.

Sasuke sat dumbstruck. Sure, Naruto had talked about Sakura kissing numerous times but it was much easier to forget about it when he wasn't actually _watching_ it happen.

His mind went blank and he was assaulted with the desire to just forget about the mission and show her how he could do it better. He clenched the table so hard, he broke off the edge. This was _not_ good. Anymore of this and…

"Get a room, you two!" The laughing bartender said loudly, causing the patrons within hearing distance to look at the couple.

Sakura pulled back from Yakugi, looking dazed and sheepish. Sasuke shut his eyes and looked away from the scene that tortured him. It wasn't the fact the Yakugi kissed her that bothered him as much as Sakura's reaction to it. Sure, he knew she was in character and she had to respond, but he could tell that she had _really_ kissed him. She hadn't been faking it. And the thought that she'd want another guy…

"So how about it?" Sasuke heard Yakugi ask, obviously pleased with Sakura's reaction to his kiss.

Sakura blinked a couple of times before she smiled shakily. "Um…yeah, Sounds good," she replied breathlessly.

"Sasuke, maybe we should go and wait for Sakura at the room. I think she can handle it from here," Naruto asked cautiously.

Sasuke stared after Yakugi and Sakura as they walked out of the bar. Yakugi kissed her neck from behind and Sakura smiled at him.

He tore his eyes away. "Yeah…"

There was no way he could keep watching this and not do something.

000

Sakura shut the motel door behind her and collapsed against it, shutting her eyes. That had been intense. Sure, she and Yakugi hadn't gotten any further than fervent making-out on the bed, but it was the feelings she had felt while doing it that had worn her out so much.

While Yakugi was a handsome man and a good kisser, he wasn't enough to cause those types of feelings to erupt within her. Sasuke was the only man who could do that.

It had all started when Yakugi had first kissed her.

She had been slightly taken by surprise, but had immediately run with it. But suddenly Sasuke's image flashed before her closed eyes and she had started to imagine that she was kissing Sasuke. Then she had surprised even herself with the ardent way she had kissed Yakugi. But she hadn't been able to help it. It was like she could feel _him_ there, feel his lips on hers and it had just been too much.

Every time Yakugi had touched her, she had felt Sasuke. Every time he had kissed her, she was kissing Sasuke. She had gotten so carried away by that feeling that she had almost forgotten about the drug. It was then that she had returned to her right mind and regained her professionalism.

When she was taking off her shoes in order for her and Yakugi to get on the bed comfortably she had unlatched the hidden compartment in the heel and had gotten the needle out. She had used her usual technique to inject it into the blood stream. When she kissed his neck, she jabbed the needle in, biting him at the same time and then threw the needle away. Yakugi had questioned what that sting had been and Sakura had just smiled coyly and said, "Sorry, I guess I was getting a bit rough in my haste," and kissed him again, effectively making him forget all about the sting.

Then when the drug had started taking affect, she'd numbed his body and asked the questions. He'd told her what she wanted to know and then she'd knocked him unconscious. Usually when her targets woke up the next day they couldn't remember much. It was a similar feeling to have a huge hangover and fuzzy memories of the night before. She hoped that would be the case with Yakugi, but there was no way to be sure. She, Naruto and Sasuke had to leave tomorrow.

Now her mind was bursting with the information she had gleaned. She was glad Naruto had ninjutsu'd a few leaves to transform them into money. It was completely unethical – not to mention highly illegal - but sometimes one needed to do such things in order to achieve something for the greater good. Besides, it was entirely necessary as Sasuke and Naruto needed stand by in the next room in case anything went wrong. And she was so incredibly tired, she was just glad to have a proper bed.

But first things first, she was going to have _such_ a go and Naruto and Sasuke for coming into the bar when she had _specifically_ told them not to! She didn't know what they had been thinking! And they hadn't even done anything! They'd just sat there _doing nothing_! Because of their curiosity - or whatever the hell kind of stupid reason was behind there actions - she had almost stuffed up. She wouldn't put such an act past Naruto, but Sasuke? Why had _he_ come in? He was the _last_ person who would jeopardize a mission like that. She didn't get it at all.

Sakura shook her head and made her way to their room. It was only prudent for them to stay in the same room so they had only rented a single, which mean there was only one double bed. There was _no_ _way_ she was going to sleep on the floor tonight. She had been the one who'd put her body on the line to get the information they needed, after all. If anyone deserved the bed, it was her. And she was _not_ sharing.

Well…not with Naruto anyway, but she doubted Sasuke would climb in after the way he'd been acting that day.

Sakura sighed as she unlocked the door. She opened it slowly, expecting Naruto to practically assault her until she coughed up the info. But all that awaited her was darkness.

And snoring.

_That little idiot fell asleep on my bed! Thank you _so_ much for waiting up for me, Naruto!_

There was Naruto, so where the hell was Sasuke? She had a thing or two to say to him and-

"Sakura."

Sakura whirled around, heart in her throat, and put and hand on her chest in surprise. "Oh, Sasuke!" she exclaimed breathlessly. "I was wondering where you were! Why the hell are you sitting in the dark? Are you allergic to the bright things or something? That reminds me! Why the hell did you and Naruto come into the bar! I said-"

Sasuke silenced her by putting a finger over her lips. "I don't care what you said."

Sakura could feel her heart pounding in her chest, like it was a wild lion trying to escape its cage. What was he doing? Whatever it was, it was causing her skin to tingle.

She grabbed his wrist and pulled it down, annoyed that she was starting to respond to him when he really deserved a sound talking to. "Wh-What do you mean, _you don't care_? How could you not care! You-"

"Sakura, what happened?" Sasuke interrupted with a cold, demanding voice.

Sakura sighed in defeat. Figures all he wanted to know was what Yakugi had said. She wanted nothing more than to have a go at him for putting the mission at risk, but she was too tired to argue with him; too emotionally spent.

"Well, I asked him what-"

Sasuke put his finger on her lips once again. "That's not what I meant."

Sakura's mind went blank. "What do you…what do you mean?" she asked weakly. She couldn't think of anything else that needed telling.

Sasuke smirked and trailed his fingers along her cheek, causing her to catch her breath in surprise. "I mean…" he trailed off as he dipped his head towards her. His hand left her face and trailed down her arm until he grabbed her forearm and tugged her forward. "What did he do to you?"

Sakura blinked, still not quite getting what he meant, too distracted by his touch and proximity to care. "Nothing I didn't want him to."

This answer didn't seem to placate Sasuke at all. In fact, it seemed to make him angry. He gripped her arm tighter and in the blink of an eye she found herself up against the cold glass of the window, her weight supported by the window sill.

_What…why is he so angry?_

Sasuke placed a hand on either side of her, causing her to lean back further into the chilly glass. The shock of cold surprised her, making her flinch. Sasuke's nearness didn't help matters at all.

His legs were nudged their way between hers as his arms created a barrier from which she couldn't escape; didn't want to. He lowered his head once more so his eyes were level with hers. She was taken back but the heat in them. She didn't know if it was fury…or something else.

"And what exactly did you want him to do?" he asked darkly.

Sakura racked her brain for an answer, but Sasuke had successfully left her blank. How was she supposed to think when he was so close and so utterly irresistible? It wasn't fair.

"I…I…"

"Yes?" he sneered.

Sakura swallowed heavily. She didn't know what she had done to make him so…so _mad_. She didn't think she'd ever seen him like this before. "I was just doing my duty, nothing more," she replied evenly. Surely he couldn't have a problem with her doing her damned job!

Sasuke grinned mockingly. "Is that so? Are you sure you weren't enjoying the benefits of your job, Sakura?"

_What the hell is he getting at?_

"I don't see why I shouldn't."

Sasuke's eyes flashed red before they returned to charcoal. His face was grim. "Did you want him?"

"Huh?"

His face returned to its mocking façade, but Sakura could tell even in her dazed state that it was an act.

"Come on, Sakura. You're a smart girl. It's not a hard question to answer."

_What is with this interrogation? What does he want? _Like it mattered anyway. Her body was overwhelmed by the heat that he was emitting. Any more of this and she didn't think she'd be able to stop herself from kissing him and that wouldn't help anyone, least of all her.

"I didn't _want_ him." _I want you._

Sasuke stared into her eyes for a few moments before he pulled back and stood straight, apparently satisfied with her answer. Sakura stood too, both relieved and disappointed that the strange interrogation had ended.

Sasuke looked her over and froze. "What is that?" he demanded.

Sakura gave him a confused look. "What is what?"

Sasuke clenched his jaw. "On your neck."

Sakura's eyes widened as her hand flew to the right side of her neck where she knew a dark hickey bruised her pale skin. She had totally forgotten all about that. It wasn't unusual for her to end up with stuff like this after she had gleaned the information so it was no big deal to her. But the way Sasuke was looking at her now made her feel like it was.

Face hard, Sasuke leaned towards her, pushing her back against the glass once again. One arm supported his weight while he used the other hand to take her jaw in his fingers and tilt it upwards.

He glared at the bruise as if it were his sworn enemy. "How did you get this?" he demanded.

"How everyone gets them."

"And you didn't stop him?" he asked coldly.

"Why would I do that?" Sakura tried to grasp an explanation for his behaviour, but came up blank once again. It was just too hard to think when he was this close, his hand on her jaw.

She felt his muscles stiffen at her answer before he dropped his hand from her jaw.

"Then…" his mocking tone had returned, his voice sounded determined, "then I guess you wouldn't mind if I did the same."

"What the…_oh_!" Sakura's breath released in a gasp as Sasuke's lips closed over the love bite Yakugi had left.

Sakura dug her fingers into the window sill for support as she felt Sasuke bite her tender skin. It was like a shock wave violently coursed through her body and she could only helplessly tremble when his teeth were replaced with his tongue as he licked the spot slowly.

"_No man_ can leave his mark on you besides _me_."

Desire shot straight through her body and settled in her stomach at the mere possessiveness of his tone, at the way the cool air caressed the spot on her neck that he'd kissed, licked and bitten, at the feel of body pressing against hers. It was a strange contrast. Her back was cooled by the glass and her front was warmed by Sasuke's body. It just made everything he was doing that much more sensual.

Sasuke pulled back slightly and moved to her left ear. "Did you hear me, Sakura?"

"Uh…yes," she squeaked.

He kissed the curve of her neck, causing her to hiss with pleasure.

"So you understand," he murmured against her skin.

Sakura, unable to support herself any long, desperately grabbed onto Sasuke's shoulders.

"Yes…" she replied breathlessly. She didn't even want to start to think about what this meant, she just wanted him to keep going.

And he did.

"Good."

He continued to kiss up her neck slowly, as though he was savouring the taste, nearly driving Sakura over the edge as she dug her fingers into his shoulders, her only hold on reality.

_Oh, god! Oh, god! Oh, god!_

It wasn't enough. Without her conscious knowledge, her legs wrapped around his lean hips and Sasuke reached down below her trembling thighs and lifted her off her resting place, grinding her into smooth glass behind her. It was a wonder it didn't crack under the sheer force of it.

Sasuke focussed all his amorous attention on one particular spot on her neck and when he bit her there Sakura realized it was the part of her neck that was the exact opposite to the place where Yakugi's love bite was. Then he bit her again, slightly harder, causing a moan to escape her throat. He chuckled against her skin, causing goose bumps to rise as his breath travelled over the wet skin on her neck.

"Is there anyone who makes you feel like I do?" he asked as he ran his tongue over the area he bit.

Sakura completely lost her concentration. "What?"

Sasuke pulled back so he could watch her daze face. "Did he make you feel like I do?" he asked before he put his face alongside hers, causing their cheeks to brush against each other.

The action was so intimate Sakura had to shut her eyes so she could form words.

"No, never."

"Good."

Sasuke pulled back and eyed her lips. Sakura licked them, knowing what was coming next.

_Finally…_

After torturing her like he had, she needed to feel his lips on hers, just once…

He shut his eyes, she shut her eyes, he leaned forward and…

"Hey Sakura, is that you?"

_No!_

Sasuke's presence was gone almost immediately and she felt naked without him there, listlessly sprawled against the windowpane.

"Uh…"

_That did __not__ just happen! This can__not__ be happening!_

But it did happen - she could feel the cold air caress the wet skin on her neck, her skin was still tingling from Sasuke's lips, and her body was still yearning for more. That was not fair! He had left her so wound up and then Naruto had to ruin it all!

He had almost kissed her.

_Sasuke_ had almost _kissed_ her.

And he had most likely given her a hickey.

_Um…_

Naruto rubbed his eyes and sat up on the bed. "What time did you get back?"

Sakura swiftly glanced at Sasuke to find him staring at the opposite wall. He was now a couple of meters away from her. To anyone who had just walked in on the situation, it would have looked like they had never been touching at all.

"Just then," she lied.

Disappointment wracked her body in waves. Something like that had to happen and then nothing followed, of course. No explanation from Sasuke, no continuation, no security. _Nothing._ She couldn't do this. She couldn't keep going up and down like this.

"Oh, okay. So what did you get?" Naruto asked.

Tears pricked in Sakura eyes and her voice sounded thick. "Um…could we just sleep, Naruto? I'm just really tired."

Naruto grinned at her. "Yeah, I guess all that lovin' is hard work!"

Sakura glanced at Sasuke's cold profile again and sighed. "You've no idea."

"Did you want the bed?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nah, I'll just climb in with you. Is that okay?"

Surprise flashed across Naruto's face. "Um…sure thing."

Sakura wordless climbed onto the bed and shut her eyes, not even bothering to get changed. She just didn't want to be alone that night.

000

_What have I done?_

At least he hadn't kissed her. Well, he sort of had; just not on her mouth. But he'd left a good-size hickey that would remind both him and Sakura of what happened that night.

_What was I thinking?_

He'd been thinking that he couldn't stand the thought that Sakura could want someone else more than she wanted him and he'd just _had_ to prove himself that it was true, that she wanted _him_ the most.

He smirked as he remembered her soft moans and the way she'd grabbed onto his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him so urgently. Yeah, she wanted him the most alright, but now what? He couldn't explain it because he didn't know what to say. 'I was jealous?' 'I couldn't stand the thought of another man touching you?' 'I couldn't stand the thought of you wanting someone more?' All of those words revealed out he really felt about her and that she couldn't know.

Surely she'd know something was different from the way he'd acted, but she wouldn't know for sure. As far as she knew, it could have just been lust and nothing more. He knew it was much more than that, but she didn't - she couldn't - and maybe if he just ignored her and made it clear that he had no intention of explaining his actions she'd get angry and keep her distance as well.

Sakura was a patient person, but there was only so much one person could take. She'd give up on him eventually and though that was the last thing he wanted, it was what was best for her. That's all that mattered now. His fate was sealed, but he didn't have to doom her to a life of pain just because he loved her.

Now it was just a matter of staying away and he wasn't sure how he was going to accomplish that.


	19. Something to Regret

**Something to Regret**

_Creak and crumble_

_Reel and stumble_

_Fall to pieces_

**_- "Find the Words", _****Mad At Gravity**

She'd never wanted this to happen. She'd never wanted to create a relationship was warped as theirs was now becoming. She'd never wanted to feel so confused. Had she ever felt so confused? And now, when they were running from the enemy because a matter of the most urgent nature, all she could think about was _him_.

She wanted to reach out to him so badly. Oh, how she longed for it. And she wanted him to reciprocate. Yeah, she longed for that too. Hadn't it always been one-sided? Hadn't she always been the one chasing and chasing and he was always the one walking away?

Sure, it seemed they sort of had the physical part down-pat, if last night was anything to go by. She could still feel his lips on her neck; still feel the way his heat had soaked into her, becoming her own. But…_but_ as good as that may feel at the time, whenever she tried to form some sort of emotional relationship with him he just turned away.

And she couldn't help but think…was she really _that_ bad? Was she really _that_ unappealing that he could take without problem and give nothing in return? Did she matter _that_ little? It seemed so, and no matter how much he made her skin tingle, she was left feeling strangely hollow. She just wanted him to hold her, to show that he cared even just a little. She wanted him to hold her, not just because she was cold or because he was oddly possessive when it came to her body, but just because he cared.

Judging by his actions since that morning, it seemed nothing of that sort would happen. He was too proud, too distance and too cold. And he just plain didn't care.

But shouldn't she be focusing her attention on more pressing issues, such as the possible impending doom of Konoha? Sure, Sasuke said he would leave once they'd reached Konoha because he was not sure what he would do yet - it didn't escape Sakura's notice that it was entirely possible that he would join Orochimaru's side in this and therefore become their enemy once more - but then again, Orochimaru was in league with the Akatsuki, meaning Itachi.

Unfortunately, Yakugi didn't know why Orochimaru and the Akatsuki were planning to attack Konoha, but at least he'd been able to tell her some broader details of their plans. Orochimaru had learned from the mistakes of the past it had seemed because his plan of infiltration this time was a _lot_ more cunning and she knew that if they had not discovered his plans ahead of time he could have caused a _lot_ of damage.

It was quite smart, really, and wholly unexpected. If they hadn't found out the specific, there was no way they could have prepared for it, even though Konoha knew that Orochimaru was planning _something_.

Apparently, it had been in the works for years, ever since the last defeat. He had sent young spies from Sound into Konoha, much like he had done with Kabuto, and those spies had joined the Academy and had risen up in Konoha ranks. These spies therefore gleaned information on Konoha's layout, defence mechanisms and the vigour of Konoha's shinobi. This information was passed onto Sound, so Orochimaru was then aptly prepared for anything other than the most secretive sects of the Village.

When these infiltrators were given the word they would start assassinating key members of Konoha, creating confusion within Konoha's midst. But Konoha would not be able to focus entirely on catching these assassins because at the same time the Akatsuki would begin attacking the Fire Country's borders with help from other Sound nin. And then, in the midst of all these disruption in Konoha, Orochimaru would mount a full-scale attack on the city itself. With half of Konoha's troops dispensed to the country's borders, Konoha would not have enough shinobi to effectively defend the village…and it would fall into Orochimaru's hands.

_Yeah, like I'm going to let that happen!_

It was funny how Konoha's fate was left to three people, one of whom didn't even care about the village, all of whom had their own warped issues to deal with. And all she could think about was never seeing Sasuke again.

000

Something had happened between them again. It was _so_ obvious. It was in the way Sakura would glance at Sasuke, blush, and then look away. It was in the way Sasuke would look at Sakura when she wasn't aware of it, a mixture of confliction emotion on his face, which was, for once, was actually readable (a miracle in and of itself). Sasuke looked at her with regret, desire, and a tenderness that still took Naruto by surprise. Was Sakura even aware of the way Sasuke felt about her? One of those hickeys on her neck was _obviously not_ from Yakugi. He could smell Sasuke's scent on her.

Sometimes it sucked having such a good nose. Every single scent was heightened, even when he wasn't trying to smell anything. If some random animal did a crap in the forest, he knew it, and God knows there was a hell of a lot of animals in any given forest, and they sure must eat some funky shit! He could smell if someone had the slightest bit of body odour (which was why he was always surprised when Sakura said he smelled bad, because wouldn't he be able to smell it on himself?), and he could smell when people just had sex, which was the _worst_. He could smell that lingering…_spunk_ on them and felt like he was intruding on something private even though it was _their_ fault they didn't use scented soap in the shower.

He, Sasuke and Sakura had left almost straight away that morning, in case Yakugi's men were following them, and Sakura hadn't had time for a shower. He could smell Yakugi's lingering scent, but Sasuke's scent was stronger so Naruto couldn't help but wonder what those two had done before he woke up. Though they had been at least two meters apart when he'd awoken their mingling scents were almost overpowering and Sakura had looked really flustered, even if Sasuke hadn't.

Yep, something had definitely gone on between them…and Naruto was _dying_ to know what. He had almost asked Sakura last night, but then he had seen how shaken up she'd looked and refrained from doing so. There was no point asking Sasuke coz all he'd get was a cold stare. That guy was uptight enough as it was.

But now Sakura was looking a lot more…approachable.

"Hey, Sakura?"

"Yeah?" she replied without looking at him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can, Naruto."

He glanced at Sasuke, to make sure he was a safe distance ahead. He didn't want the bastard overhearing their conversation, after all. No telling what he'd do.

"Um…what happened between you and Sasuke last night?"

Sakura bit her lip and blushed scarlet. "Wh…what are you talking about, Naruto? Nothing happened!"

Obviously this meant something totally had, but what hurt the most was that Sakura also obviously felt as though she couldn't tell him. Hadn't they always told each other everything? So why did Sakura always feel as though she had to hide anything to do with Sasuke from him? Weren't they a team? Weren't they friends? Weren't they supposed to be all in this together?

Naruto stopped abruptly, tears in his eyes. Sakura stopped beside him, a worried look on her face.

"What is it, Naruto?"

"Why do you think you have to lie to me?" he asked in a broken whisper. He didn't know why the thought of Sakura lying to him hurt so much, but it did.

Sakura shut her eyes as a pained expression crossed her face. "I-"

"What's the hold up?" Sasuke asked as he approached them, landing on a branch a meter away.

Sakura looked at him beseechingly. "Sasuke, could Naruto and I have a few minutes alone?"

He narrowed his eyes at Naruto then looked back at Sakura. "Why?"

His tone was biting but his eyes were soft; a total contradiction. He guessed even Sasuke couldn't hide what he really felt; it was just a matter of being able to see it. And it pissed Naruto off. Weren't Sasuke's actions towards Sakura the reason she was lying to him? Even since that bastard had started paying attention to Sakura she'd started needed him less and less.

That was it, wasn't it? He was afraid that Sasuke would take Sakura way from him. Sakura meant the world to him and he didn't want to lose her. At the same time he felt incredibly guilty. Who was he to keep her by his side instead of letting her go to Sasuke? Didn't Sasuke need her more? He had friends, people who loved him…but Sasuke? Sasuke had no one. If anyone needed Sakura, it was definitely Sasuke. And Sasuke loved her…and Sakura loved him. She always had. Shouldn't he want his two dearest friends to be happy?

He just didn't want Sakura out of his life completely and Sasuke had a way of making her forget about everything else but him.

So Naruto sneered at Sasuke. "It's nothing _you'd_ understand, bastard." The implication was clear.

Sasuke's eyes flashed anger and his face hardened, but Naruto had seen that brief spark of hurt mixed in with the anger. He had hurt him.

_Why did I do that?_

"Fine, do whatever you want. Just don't blame me if Konoha ends up in ruins because of your little emotional stop-over," Sasuke cut out with bitterness lacing his words.

Sakura gasped as he turned away, but she grabbed his wrist. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke stared hard into her eyes. "What? You want to apologize for him? Don't bother because I really don't care."

Which made it _totally_ obvious that he did.

Sasuke wrenched his wrist out of Sakura's grasp, leaped down to the ground and walked away. Sakura stared after him and Naruto could see how torn she was. He knew she wanted to go after Sasuke and comfort him, but she also didn't want to leave him standing there alone when there was clearly something bothering him.

It pained him that she would have to choose between her love and her best friend, but at the same time he desperately wanted her to choose him. After all, hadn't he always been there for her? Where had Sasuke been? He'd been with some creepy-ass snake psycho training to kill his own damn brother! _Sasuke_ had been the one to leave Sakura broken and _he_ had been the one to put her back together again. Surely he deserved her attention a hell of a lot more than _Sasuke_ did. Besides, most of the pain Sasuke had was self-inflicted. And Sasuke just pushed Sakura away anyway and hurt her more. Naruto _never_ pushed her away. _Never_.

Sakura finally looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Naruto…I…I never meant to lie to you, but there are just some things I can't tell you."

Fresh tears sprung into Naruto's eyes, blurring his sight. "But why? We always tell each other everything."

Sakura walked up to him with a smile on her face and took his hands in her own. "And I love that we have that kind of relationship, but I'm seventeen now! Nearly eighteen! I'm practically a woman now, Naruto, and you're practically a man. It was inevitable that one day I would find someone I want to spend my life with, someone who means as much to me as you do, but in a different way. I guess it was always destined to be Sasuke, but that doesn't really matter. Even if it wasn't Sasuke, there was always going to be someone and you just have to let me go."

So this was it, huh? He wasn't stupid. He knew the day was coming when they'd get older and someone else would come into their lives, their exclusive little world. No one understood he and Sakura but each other because neither of them had let anyone else understand. He had always dreaded the day when Sakura would let someone else in. But she was right; their exclusive little friendship couldn't have lasted like that forever. It was hardly appropriate. He knew he wouldn't want a girlfriend who was closer to another guy than him. And she was a woman now. There were things about her life that he just wouldn't understand.

A tear ran down Naruto's cheek. "But I don't want to let you go."

"But you have to, Naruto, just like I have to let you go."

"What?"

Sakura smiled up at him in amusement. "Did you really think this was one-sided? Someday you're going to find a girl who means the world to you and I'll have to take a step to the side. It kills me to think that when that happens I'll no longer be able to call on you whenever I need you. That girl will _always_ take first place. I know that because if I had a boyfriend who cared for some other chick before me, I kick the bitch's face in! And possibly my boyfriend's face too," she laughed dryly, "The point is, I won't be able to lean on you like I'm used to when that happens. It kills me because I _do_ need you, Naruto. More than you think. You're like my oxygen…you keep me going."

"And Sasuke's like your carbon dioxide," he joked, but he had never honestly thought of that aspect. It had never even occurred to him that Sakura felt the same way he did. It had never occurred to him that _she_ would have to let _him_ go too one day. It was just that it was happening for him first. But like she had said, one day he too would fall in love and that girl would come before Sakura. Right now was Sakura's time and until Sasuke had come into the picture, Naruto had been first for her. But Sakura had found the man she loved and from this moment, that man came first.

Sakura laughed. "Figures you make Sasuke the poisonous one."

Naruto grinned and shrugged. "Well, the description sorta suits him if you ask me!"

Sakura smiled and bit her lip. Naruto knew she was thinking of him, most likely wondering if he was okay.

"Sakura, go to him."

Sakura looked hesitant. "Really?"

Assuredness filled Naruto as the words left his mouth. This was how it was supposed to be. "Yeah, really."

Sakura's face immediately relaxed and she threw her arms around him. "Thank you."

Naruto tightened his arms around her and fought back the tears that were threatening to betray him. As right as this was, it still hurt like hell.

"We can still be friends, right?" he whispered uncertainly.

"Of course, silly," Sakura said into his chest, "and no matter who I love, I will _always_ need you and you will _always_ be my best friend, okay?"

"Okay," Naruto replied as he pulled back from her embrace. "Now go and find the bastard before he commits suicide or something."

Sakura gasped as a look of pure horror crossed her features. "Naruto, don't even say that! I'll kick your ass to the next country if you do!"

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Just go already."

"Fine, I'll see you in a few. Just sit tight."

She gave him one last smile before she jumped to the ground and walked off in the direction Sasuke had gone.

Naruto's smiled died as he watched her retreating figure, sadness contracting his chest so it was hard to breathe. He was losing her. Sure, she'd always be around and he'd see her practically every day, but she wasn't his anymore.

_Goodbye, Sakura._

000

He wondered if Sakura would come looking for him and he hated that he wanted her to. But hell, hadn't he being doing a lot of things he supposedly hated recently? Things such as letting his emotions cloud his judgment, things like losing his control over a woman, things like falling in love.

Even though he knew emotions hindered him he'd never thought that love would be one of those emotions. When he had planned out his life from the day Itachi had killed his clan and onwards, he had never planned on falling in love. It was infuriating, frustrating, and really, really…_annoying_.

Day by day his control had been slipping and he was reacting to things he never would have reacted to before. He was revealing things that he could have easily hidden before.

Every time he looked at Sakura it seemed harder to not touch her. He could still taste her skin under his lips, he could still feel her serrated breath touch his hair, could still feel her fingers gripping his shoulders as if she never wanted to let him go. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was _her_. Even if he began to think about killing Itachi, his thoughts ended up digressing to _her_. He had to leave her before she made it impossible to do so. The temptation to stay was too great. It would be _so easy_ to just choose to remain by her side, Konoha's side. But he knew if he chose that he'd never leave again.

At the same time, he couldn't bear the thought of being against her in battle either. How could he fight her in a war? How could he see her on the battlefield and not want to kill all the Sound shinobi so they wouldn't harm her?

And now this whole love thing was making him lose control in other areas as well. Usually he wouldn't be affected by any of Naruto's baiting, but last night he had jeopardized the mission because of it. And then after what Naruto had said just a few minutes ago…Sasuke couldn't remember a time when he had wanted to smash the little retard into a pulp as much as he had then.

And then Sakura had made things worse by showing concern over him, as she did. It would be _so_ much easier to ignore her if she didn't care about him. It was getting harder and harder to resist her and he didn't want to know what would happen when the strained leash on his emotions finally snapped. She was pushing it and she didn't even know she was.

"Sasuke?"

_Damn. _

She appeared in the clearing with worry written all over her face.

_Why does she even bother?_

The traitorous part of him was glad that she did.

"What?"

Once again, his harsh tone did not faze her.

"Are you alright?"

He looked up at her from the fallen log he was sitting on, for once not caring that he was looking up at somebody.

"Why wouldn't I be alright?"

She bit her lip and looked down at her feet. "I don't know…but after what Naruto said-"

Sasuke leaned his elbows on his knees and pressed his fingertips together, staring straight ahead. "I told you it didn't matter."

He focused all his attention on his fingers because he knew if he looked up and saw the hurt expression on Sakura's face it would undo him.

He was focusing on his fingers so intently that he failed to notice Sakura moving until she was on the ground kneeling before him, her eyes looking up into his with nothing but sincerity and purity and everything he loved about her.

"Why is it that you always push me away when all I've ever wanted to do was help you?"

Sasuke looked away, but couldn't find the effort to put any physical distance between them. "Our ideas of 'help' differ greatly."

"Sasuke, look at me," she asked pleadingly. When he didn't respond, she asked again, "_Please_, look at me!" Her voice broke and, for the life of him, he couldn't refuse, and regretted it immediately.

The tears in her eyes just illuminated the greenness of them and he wanted nothing more than to make her smile again.

Then she smiled at him, but it was full of sadness. She put her hands over his and pulled them away from his face and he found all he could do was stare at her.

"Sasuke, you know I'd do anything for you so _please_, let me do _something_! I can't stand watching you suffer and not being able to help you!"

Sasuke took a hand out from under hears and caught a strand of her pink hair that was blowing in the breeze. It was soft and silky under his fingers, just like her skin. He should just get up and walk away. He should…he should…he should…

He couldn't.

He shut his eyes and clenched his jaw, trying to maintain control of his emotions, of his desire to hold her. When he opened his eyes, he trailed his fingers down her smooth cheek, enthralled by the softness of her skin, by the way it felt under his fingers.

"Why?" he whispered, "why do you care so much? Why would you go to such effort for _me_?"

Sakura bit her lip as she stared up at him. "Because I…" She hesitated and looked down.

He moved his fingers to grip her jaw and made her look up at him. "Because you what?"

"Because I…"

"Well, well. What a touching scene."

Sasuke's senses pricked at the sound of the unfamiliar voice as he tore himself away from Sakura. How had he not sensed them approaching? Had he really been _that_ distracted?

There were five men and judging from first appearance, they were capable shinobi, though a little overconfident. Most likely Yakugi's men.

The leader's gaze moved over Sasuke, assessing him, before moving on to look at Sakura who stood beside him. The man sneered at her.

"I assume this is the whore that drugged our master! Unforgivable!" He turned to the other men. "You get the guy and I'll get the bitch." He turned back to Sakura and spat on the ground before her. "I wanna bleed her good."

Rage clouded Sasuke's vision at what the man had said. Without thinking, he grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her behind him, shielding her with his body.

"You touch her, you die," he threatened with the full force of his anger, "and it will be a death so slow and so excruciatingly painful you'll wish for it a million times over before I even consider giving it to you."

The man looked taken back for a second, full of shock and fear, before recovering his cocky demeanour. "What, she your girlfriend or something? What kind of half-ass man let's his woman off her leash like that? A man with no balls, that what. That bitch seems like she's more trouble than for what she's worth. I should do you a favour and take her off your hands, maybe use those _values_ of hers before I kill her, huh? I'm sure she'd appreciate a real man!"

Sasuke's eyes turned red and he lunged for the bastard. He didn't care about what he said about him, but _no one_ talked about Sakura like that and lived. _No one_.

It was only Sakura's hold on his arm that stopped him from ripping their hearts out. "No, Sasuke. Don't let him bait you."

Sasuke took and deep breathe and forced himself to remain calm. She was right, of course. He couldn't let his feelings for her cloud his judgment. He couldn't act irrationally. Then he'd be no better than Naruto. Now _that_ was a sobering thought.

He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, when he opened them, they were swirling red, but they felt different than they usually did – more powerful.

"Say what you will, but nothing is going to stop me from kicking your ass." Okay, so maybe he wasn't entirely calm, but at least he was thinking clearly now. But that rage was just simmering under the surface and he desperately needed a release for it. That asshole was the perfect choice for such a thing.

000

This was just great, wasn't it? It just _figured_ that some dick-nosed ass-faced bastards had to stick their butts into their breathing space looking for a fight just when she was gaining some _serious_ emotional ground with Sasuke! Though in retrospect it was probably a good thing they had come when they did because she had just about told Sasuke that she loved him. That would have been a _big_ mistake! No doubt it would have utterly laid to waste any progress she had so painstakingly made over the past weeks.

And not only that, she was extremely reluctant to say those three big words after what had happened last time she'd said them to him. Recap: he left. No, wait. He knocked her out cold and _then_ left. She guessed a part of her was afraid that if she said them again, he'd do the same thing - leave (possibly without the knocking-out part).

But when she had been caught up in the moment, she had completely forgotten why it was a bad idea. And boy, what a moment! For the first time _ever_ he hadn't pushed her away; he hadn't walked away. He'd looked at her and he'd listened to her and he'd opened himself up to her and he'd touch her hair and touched her face and…_oh god_, the words had just started coming out of their own accord because never had she felt more in love with him than at that moment. For once she'd gotten to see the _real_ Sasuke, the one he kept hidden all the time, and it had made her heart ache out of love for him. It was painful to stand so close and not be able to reach out and touch him and she wanted nothing more than to see that Sasuke again.

But now probably wasn't the right time to be thinking about that, seeing as she had Sasuke were currently engaged in battle. Sasuke was taking on three guys and she was taking on two. No, wait. Sasuke had downed that leader guy and, judging by the force of Sasuke's anger, he was probably dead. As a medic she should probably feel regret at the loss of life, but that guy really was an asshole. She had felt like tearing his face off after what he'd said about Sasuke! Seriously, it didn't even matter if Sasuke had balls or not because _hello_! His face and body _totally_ made up for any lack of _manly hood_. That guy had just been jealous because he was about as good looking as a constipated toad.

Her attention was immediately brought back to the battle when a kunai was lodged into her side. Sharp pain erupted throughout her body and she cursed.

_I really _should_ pay more attention to my opponents in battle. _

But there was no time to sit down and cry. She had to get these bozos out of their way. Chakra started flowing to her wound, closing and repairing it, as she swung at the shinobi nearest to her. She hit him square in the face and that was why she was incredibly surprised to see her fist go through him.

"What the…"

And she was even more surprised to see the two shinobi she'd been battling disappear before her eyes and then reappear on the ground a few meters away from her, unconscious.

"What just happened?"

"You were all in a genjutsu."

Sakura whirled around to face Sasuke who was casually leaning against a tree.

"You said what now?"

"You were in a genjutsu from the moment I activated my Sharingan."

Sakura gaped at him. "What? That was ages ago!"

"Yeah…"

Sakura blinked once, then twice. "Wait…but what about this wound…" her voice trailed off into nothingness when she looked at her side to find it looking like it had before she'd started the battle, "but…how…?"

Sasuke pushed himself off the tree and ran a hand through his hair. "Though you felt the pain, you weren't actually wounded. Like I'd let that happen. It was all part of the illusion."

Then something clicked. "Wait, wait, wait! You cast _me_ in your genjutsu! You bastard!"

Sasuke looked at her blankly. "Yes, I did."

"What the hell would you do that for?" she screeched.

"The genjutsu wouldn't have worked had you not been in it as well and I could not have simply alerted you to my intentions beforehand because I did not have the opportunity to do so. I doubt you would have let me do all the work anyway."

Sakura put her hands on her hips and glared. "Damn right I wouldn't have! I'm not some dead-beat weakling, you know! I can fight the best of them, I assure you!"

Sasuke's face hardened as he walked towards her, stopping a few feet away. "If that is so, why is it that you let yourself get wounded so easily? It was an easy blow to parry, if not avoid completely."

Sakura bit her lip. _Crap. _"I-"

"I'll tell you why," Sasuke continued, effectively cutting her off, his eyes swirling red and morphing into something _else_ right before her eyes. "It's because you were distracted. Your mind wasn't on the battle and therefore you were caught off guard and wounded. An elite shinobi is _always_ on guard and _always_ keeps their mind on the battle."

Sakura immediately grew defensive at his condescending tone and looked away from the intensity of his Sharingan. Who was he to reprimand her? He wasn't any older than she was and so what if he could do some fancy genjutsu! That didn't mean he was _that_ much better than her!

"Well, sorry Mr. Experienced, but it is not such a big deal if I get wounded in battle because I can heal myself and fight at the same time!"

_Suck on that, big-shot!_

"Exactly. You are the medic. It is your duty to heal any member of your team that has been wounded and in order to do that you need chakra. So if you are expending your chakra on your own wounds that you shouldn't even have in the first place, how are you supposed to heal your comrades?"

_Damn, he got me._

She still didn't know why he was getting so worked up about this. It's not like he should care. Why did he care?

"Look, it was a mistake, alright? I'm sure even _you_ make mistakes."

She didn't know if it was just her imagination, but his eyes seemed to soften, before they turned into something else completely.

"More than you know."

Sakura gulped at his tone. It was unnerving. "Well…uh…let's go find Naruto, shall we?" she said brightly, trying to conceal her nervousness.

As she walked past Sasuke, he grabbed her wrist and twirled her around to face him. His face was stern, his eyes the Mangekou Sharingan.

"Sakura, don't let me see you make another mistake like that again. Promise me you'll take care of yourself."

Sakura's heart pounded against her ribcage as she stared into Sasuke's intense gaze. Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Since when had Sasuke had the Mangekou? Didn't he have to kill his best friend in order to get that? But Naruto was alive and she was pretty damn certain he didn't have any _other_ friends.

But above all else, her mind was focused on his unsettling words.

_What is he saying? What is he doing? What does this mean? _

"Yes," she whispered, unable to put more stability to her voice.

His grip tightened on her arm. "Promise me, Sakura."

Sakura gulped again. The way he said her name…

"I…I promise."

"Good," he let go of her wrist and looked around nonchalantly, his eyes reverting to their usually obsidian, "Now let's go find that dobe."

"You mean this dobe?" Naruto grinned mischievously as he stepped out of the forest into the clearing.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You just called yourself a dobe, idiot."

Naruto's grin faded. "Damn. I did, didn't I?

"It doesn't matter. Let's go," Sasuke replied.

"I think we should make camp her for the night," Sakura suggested.

Sasuke glared at her. "Why should we? Yakugi sent men after us, but there is no doubt he also sent messengers to Orochimaru. He could be moving faster now that we know."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So you're on our side then?"

Sasuke looked at him evenly. "At least until you reach Konoha."

Sakura shook her head. "That doesn't matter now," she turned to Sasuke, "You're right, of course, but our bodies need rest. I used a lot of chakra in that battle, genjutsu or not, and you used a lot of chakra in that complicated jutsu of yours. Don't pretend you aren't tired. I'm a medic, I can tell."

She could also tell that a few blood vessels had burst in his eyes, but the damage did not look too extensive to her trained eye. If he had been using the Mangekou for a while the damage would have been much more advanced, like Itachi's. It must have been a new acquisition, then. Sakura was desperate to ask him about it – how he'd acquired it - and yet feared the surely unpleasant answer.

Sasuke looked away as Naruto gaped at her. "You were in a battle too?"

Sakura gaped back. "You mean to say you fought someone, Naruto?" She looked over him. He looked as normal as ever. He wasn't scuffed up in any way and didn't appear tired at all.

"Someone?" he laughed, "I fought like three guys or something!"

"You fought three of Yakugi's men?"

Naruto stared at her blankly. "Yakugi's men? Oh, I thought they were just some random dudes looking for a fight!" he laughed out loud, "Well _that_ explains a lot!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Sasuke's right. You _are_ a dobe."

"_Hey_! Don't agree with that bastard!"

Sakura glared at him. "I'll agree with whoever I want to agree with, thank you very much!"

Naruto pouted and looked away. "What_ever_. You're always taking that bastard's side."

Sakura laughed shortly. "Please! Maybe I'd agree with you more if you weren't such an idiot!"

"Yeah? Well-"

"We will camp here for tonight," Sasuke cut in, "Naruto will take first watch and I will take the second watch."

Sakura turned to him. "Hold up a second! _You_ need to rest!"

Sasuke's steady gaze didn't waver. "So do you."

"Yes, but not as much as you do. You were up all night last night, weren't you? And your eyes are…" she trailed off when she saw the forbidding look on his face, "Well, it's clearly my turn," she rushed on, "I'll rest during Naruto's shift. That will be enough."

Sasuke clenched his jaw and looked away. "Fine."

Naruto looked between the two of them. "Wait, wait, _wait!_ Why do _I_ always have to keep watch? I _never_ get a full-night's sleep!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at him again. "That's because you don't need it as much as Sasuke and I do. I mean, look at you! You were just in a fight with three potentially jounin-level shinobi and you're not tired or hurt at all! You're taking first watch."

Naruto groaned. "_Man_! That's so not fair!"

Sakura snickered. "Just thank that lovely demon inside you for that."

"What_ever_."

000

They were sitting around a camp fire. The setting was the perfect picture of tranquillity - the crickets were chirping, the owls were hooting, the small animals of the forest were rustling through the undergrowth; the fireflies illuminated what would otherwise be indiscernible trees, the stars were bright, the moon was even brighter, the fire warmed the chilly night air around them as the flames illuminated their faces in a warm orange glow. Naruto was chatting away comfortably, Sakura looked relaxed.

But Sasuke was on edge. Ever sound seemed to grate on his nerves; ever rustle in the brush, every hoot of the owl…everything. There was no sign that they were going to be attacked again and yet he still could not relax.

It had just been too close before. At the beginning of the fight, he hadn't been able to stand the thought of the possibility of Sakura being in danger, so he had performed a genjutsu he hadn't been aware his Sharingan could even do. And hell, he was too grateful for it to care where it'd come from right now. If he hadn't used that genjutsu that wound in Sakura side would have been real. Though she had promised she'd be more careful, he couldn't help but wonder if it would happen again. Sure, mistakes happened, as she had said, but how often? How often would she make a mistake and he wouldn't be around to protect her? Yeah, Naruto was there and he would protect Sakura with his life, but he couldn't _always_ be there.

_And I could? This is ridiculous._

But lately he had been doing a lot of ridiculous things, and Sakura had been right - he _was_ tired. It seemed as though the events of past few weeks had finally caught up to his body. He wasn't just tired, he was weary. He needed rest. But how the hell was he supposed to rest when _she_ was around? He'd stayed up all night because he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her on the window sill as he'd kissed her neck and what would have happened had Naruto not interrupted them. And though he knew he shouldn't let his mind turn to those possibilities, he couldn't help it because he wanted it so much.

_Is love such a pain in the ass to everyone or is it just me?_

Knowing the answer would probably be a depressing one, he turned his attention to Sakura and Naruto's conversation. Naruto would probably say something asinine that would be the source of some amusement, though the fact that Sakura was leaning on _Naruto's_ shoulder and not _his_ was vaguely pissing him off.

"Hey, Sakura?"

"Yeah, Naruto?"

"You know what you said to me before…about falling in love?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well…how do you know? I mean, how am I supposed to know when I fall in love?"

Sakura bit her lip the way that she always did. "I don't know. Love is a strange thing. It sort of creeps up on you slowly when you don't expect it…like a whisper in the night."

Naruto looked confused, which wasn't anything new. "What the hell is a whisper in the night?"

"At night the world is supposed to be still, but it's not, really. Night is when everything happens. Well, at least in our shinobi world. And because all this other stuff is going on and it's so noisy we don't hear a whisper in the background. And we continue to not hear it until it becomes a shout, and shout that says 'You love him' or 'You love her.'"

Naruto blinked. "I still don't get it."

Sakura sighed in exasperation. "Then let me explain it in terms you'll understand. Imagine that you're in this massive battle. There are shinobi fighting everywhere and you are right in the middle of the whoop-la. You're focused on the jutsu you are performing at that time and trying not to get killed. Love is like Kakashi."

"_WHAT?_"

Sakura giggled. "You know how Kakashi is sneaky and he comes from the place you never expect him to, the time you never expect him to."

"Oh…like when he comes up from the ground and scares the hell out of you?"

"Exactly."

"So you saying love comes up from the ground?"

"_NO!_"

Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes. Naruto really was a dobe.

"But it does scare the hell out of you, right?"

_Damn straight it does._

"Well…it can, I suppose, but that's not the point! I meant that love comes when you don't expect it, where you don't expect it, even if it was there all along, just waiting to come to the surface."

Naruto rolled his eyes at Sakura. "Then why didn't you just say that in the first place!"

"I did, you just didn't get it!"

"Geez, Sakura! I'm a shinobi, not a poet!"

"That wasn't poetry, dumb-ass. It was a metaphor."

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "What the hell's a metaphor?"

Sakura groaned in defeat. "It doesn't matter."

"So…anyway, Sakura. Does love happen like that for everyone?" Naruto asked innocently.

Before Sasuke had the chance to avert his gaze, Sakura caught it and held him there. He didn't know if it was the atmosphere or the affect of the word's she'd just spoken, but something shifted between them.

After a few seconds, she turned back to the fire with a hint of a smile on her face and spoke words that were almost imperceptible, but mind-numbing nonetheless.

"I don't know, but that's how it happened for me."

000

She could not believe she had done that! She had practically told Sasuke that she loved him! Maybe she wasn't as reluctant to say those words as she thought!

Well…she supposed she hadn't exactly said the words 'I love you,' but she had come pretty damn close! She had been saying all this stuff about _love_ and then Naruto had asked her that question about _love_ and she had caught Sasuke's gaze and held it for a few seconds before giving some reply that made it obvious she was in _love_ with him! Anyone with half a brain could come to that conclusion and Sasuke definitely had more than half a brain in that fine head of his!

_God, I am so _stupid_! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

And now she was sitting in some tree freezing her ass off watching out for shinobi that would probably never come! She was miserable and she wanted to die.

_I am miserable and I want to die. I am miserable and I want to die. I am miserable and I want to-_

"_AH!_"

Sakura screamed as a hard but warm body grabbed her from behind. A hand clamped over her mouth, cutting off any further sound she would have made.

"Calm down, Sakura."

She froze. She'd know that voice even if she was deaf.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah," he whispered in confirmation as he pulled her back against his strong body.

Sakura heart seemed as though it was racing a thousand miles an hour and she sincerely hoped she wouldn't get an aneurism.

"What…what are you doing here?" she whispered in confusion.

Sasuke wrapped his arms around her waist as he leaned back against the tree trunk behind him. "You were shivering like crazy and you won't be able to stay alert for enemies if you're too focused on being cold and I was right if you weren't even able to sense me coming. Remember what I said to you earlier today about this kind of thing. I should have known that you wouldn't keep your promise and-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Sakura tried to say in nonchalantly but it seriously didn't work.

_Was he _babbling_? _

The thought of Sasuke babbling was an insane one, but what else could she call it? Incessant chatter? It was the _same damn thing_! And people only babbled when they were trying to cover something.

But it didn't matter, really, because she was in Sasuke's arms and he was there. It didn't matter _why_ he was there, just that he was.

"Weren't you supposed to be sleeping?" she asked tentatively.

"I couldn't sleep."

As he spoke Sakura could feel the vibration of sound rumble through his chest. Her mind was solely focused on every part of her that was in contact with him. Every place he touched her was getting warmer by the second. She had to keep conversation going in a safe direction otherwise she'd either do or say something she'd sincerely regret later.

"Me too."

There was a pause and Sakura feared he wouldn't bother answering her.

"You're not supposed to sleep on watch anyway."

She almost sighed in relief, but settled for smiling instead. It wasn't like he could see her face or anything.

"No, I meant when it was Naruto's turn to watch. I couldn't sleep then."

It felt so good to be in a normal, casual, comfortable conversation with Sasuke about nothing in particular. It was a freedom she had never experienced before and she never wanted it to end. She couldn't stop smiling and was glad Sasuke couldn't see her face.

This was totally surreal and she found it hard to believe it was actually happening. Here they were, sitting in a tree. Her back against his chest, his back against the tree, his arms around her, their legs dangling off either side of the thick branch they were sitting on.

_I'm going to wake up any second now and this will all be an amazing dream. But god, please let it go on for as long as possible._

"Why not?" he asked.

Sakura shrugged before she remembered with a smile that she was leaning against Sasuke, "I don't know." She hesitantly rested her hands over Sasuke's, "Is it okay if I put my hands here? I don't really have anywhere else to put them," she asked shyly.

There was another pause and Sakura feared she had stuffed the whole thing up.

"Whatever."

_Phew..._

"Well, as I was saying, I don't really know why I couldn't sleep. I guess I just have a lot of stuff on my mind," she continued brightly.

"Like what?"

_You._

"Um…I don't know."

"So you're thinking about a lot of stuff but you don't know what that stuff is? That's stupid," he replied a matter-of-factly.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his tone, but the giddy grin on her face still didn't abate. "Then tell me what _you_ were thinking about, Mr. I-Know-Everything."

"No."

Sakura pouted before she remembered he couldn't see her face. "Why not?"

"Because it's not important."

_Damn, shut out again._

Sakura laughed lightly. "I bet it is important. I can't imagine you'd ever think about anything trivial like I do."

Sasuke chuckled behind her and the sound was like music to her. This is how she always wanted it to be. She wanted them to be relaxed and comfortable with each other like they were now. She wanted them to be able to talk to each other like they were now. She wanted him to always hold her like he was doing now.

"Then what do you _think_ I think about?"

Sakura bit her lip as she thought for a few seconds. She always had to be careful while talking to Sasuke because anything could trigger his wall of defence. But she didn't want to lie either.

"I think you think about how to better your jutsu and how to become stronger and revenge," she said it lightly, but inside she was cringing in suspense. How would he respond to that?

To her utter surprise, he freed one of his hands from under hers and snaked it across her neck where _the_ hickey was. Then he leaned forward and whispered in her ear:

"Yes…but lately I've been thinking about a lot more."

Sakura froze as her heart constricted painfully in her chest.

_What is he saying? Why is he doing this? What does it mean? _

She couldn't stand not knowing the answer to those questions anymore. Obviously _something_ happening on between them and she wanted to know what it was exactly. She didn't dare hope that it was anything more than lust, and if it was indeed lust she wanted to be treated better than he was currently treating her; even if it was Sasuke, even if he made her hot all over.

"Don't."

Sasuke stiffened behind her, his hand retracted from its place on her neck. "What?"

"I…I said don't."

"Don't what?"

Unbidden anger rose up in Sakura chest like vomit and she twirled around to face him, seeing his face for the first time since he'd come to her. It was as hard and as handsome as ever and it broke her heart.

"Don't say those kinds of things to me without explaining what they mean!" she whispered harshly.

Sasuke's face turned to stone and he looked away. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

_That's it._

"Sasuke, you gave me a freaking…" she took a deep breathe to control her anger and started again, whispering this time, "You gave me a freaking _hickey_ and you say you don't have to explain yourself to me? What kind of crap is that?"

He clenched his jaw and continued to look away. Sakura's exasperation grew.

_He's acting like a child! _

"Sasuke, look at me!" when he continued to ignore her, she grabbed his jaw and turned his head towards her, "I said _look at me_!"

Sasuke wrenched her hand off his face as he glared at her. "Don't touch me."

Sakura laughed mockingly. "Or what? You'll give me another hickey?"

Sasuke ground his jaw as his eyes bore into hers. "Or I'll do something I'll regret."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Like what? What could you possibly do that you'd regret? You're Uchiha _Sasuke_, one who controls his emotions with an iron fist! Never lets anyone in! Why's that? Well, because he is an arrogant, egotistical, uptight, stubborn, socially-retarded bas…_mmf_!"

Sasuke cut off her words with a kiss that heated Sakura down to her toes and back up again.

He pulled back and left her heaving for air and a grasp on reality.

"Something like _that_," he whispered before he claimed her mouth in another scorching kiss.

He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer as Sakura fisted her hands in his shirt, unable to do anything but return his fervour with her own. His other hand cupped her face as he slanted his mouth against hers; drawing the kiss deeper into the oblivion she was already lost in.

She wasn't aware of anything other than the lips that danced with her own, moving with a rhythm that could not be heard by anyone but them. And when his tongue ran against her own she couldn't help but moan at the sensations it caused. It was like her whole body was alive and every feeling was amplified tenfold, making her feel as though she was going in a hundred different directions at one time.

Never in her life had she experienced anything like this; never had she felt so completely swept away by feelings so intense they _burned_.

And then he suddenly pulled back and his breathing was as heavy as hers, his heart beating as fast as hers, his eyes as wide as hers felt.

"Sakura, I…" his voice broke and her heart broke along with it. He shut his eyes as his withdrew his hand from her face and retracted his arm from around her waist, "I…can't…"

Never had she seen him so completely vulnerable and it felt like her chest caved in at the sight of him so lost. She was overcome with the fiercest desire to protect him.

She let go of his shirt and lightly placed one hand on the side of his perfect face, tracing his perfect features. Smiling sadly, she answered him, "I know."

"I'll keep watch. You go rest," he said, and he abruptly sounded incredibly weary.

Sasuke still hadn't removed her hand from his face and she revelled in the way his jaw moved when he spoke and how it felt under her hand. She wasn't entirely sure he should be the one staying awake for the rest of the night, but she didn't have the strength to argue with him after what had just happened. Her body was still hot all over, refusing to cool down. Desire still pooled at the base of her stomach, refusing to ebb. And now she was starting to tremble in the after-affects of the biggest adrenalin rush she'd ever experienced. She hardly thought she'd get any sleep tonight.

"Okay," she whispered as she started to remove her hand from Sasuke's face.

Sasuke surprised her again by taking her hand in his own and facing her palm upwards. His lips touch her palm in a sweet caress that nearly undid her. She squeezed her eyes shut and her mouth parted as a breath of hot air escaped from between her lips.

"You're trembling," Sasuke noted with a hint of a smile as he released her hand.

Sakura cast her eyes downward, unable to reply. The reason why she was trembling was _way_ too embarrassing to share.

She shuffled in preparation to jump down from the branch, but before she could move Sasuke pulled her towards him and kissed her hard on the lips. He lingered close to her for a moment before pulling back with that familiar smirk on the lips she could still taste.

"Don't fall."

Sakura blinked at him as she got all hot again.

_Yeah, like that's gonna help._

"G-goodnight, Sasuke," she whispered before she dropped off the branch, almost falling over as she landed. She knew Sasuke was smirking at her from the branch overhead.

Sakura walked back to where Naruto was sleeping in a daze. She was barely aware of anything she did and found herself lying on her back next to Naruto, staring and the stars and wondering how the hell she was going to make sense out of this one.

000

Sasuke stared into the night sky and wondered what the hell had gone wrong with his brain for him to do something as stupid as what he had done.

He had kissed her. He had actually done it.

He could still taste her on his lips, still feel the way she'd felt in his arms, still feel her hand on his cheek, still hear her moan. And it was the worst kind of torture imaginable. He wanted nothing more than to jump down from the cursed tree, find her and continue what they'd had going.

He'd known she'd be receptive. Though she had told him to stop touching her earlier, she certainly hadn't resisted _that_. The fact that he knew she'd reciprocate again made the temptation even worse.

He had kissed her, what? Three times? It was just that when she'd touched him…and she'd been so angry at him. He didn't want her to be angry at him; he wanted her to smile at him again and laugh the way they had been before. He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever had a meaningless conversation with anyone. And then he'd just had to ruin it with is caustic remarks.

The leash had finally snapped. And now he had to leave. There was no way he could stay with her any longer; he would not be able to stop himself from kissing her again now that he knew what she tasted like. And when she was around he found it impossible to focus on anything else. Earlier that day he hadn't even been able to sense a few half-rate shinobi because he'd been too caught up in her.

How could he consider himself strong if he couldn't even bring himself to leave her? That would be the ultimate test of strength - if he could leave her. And he would. He had to. For the sake of avenging his clan, he would leave her.

And he would leave tomorrow.


	20. One More Day

**One More Day**

_Its days like these that we lose all hope_

_But the best is yet to come_

_And I know we're better off_

_We're better off alone_

**_- "The Nighttime is Our Time", _****Before Their Eyes**

She could remember the day he left. Of all the memories she had of him, that one was the most clear. She hated that it was. She wanted to remember the good things about him. She wanted to remember how he'd say he didn't care, but attempted to give his life for Naruto's anyway. She wanted to remember how he'd protected her in the Forest of Death. She wanted to remember the days she and him would stand side by side with incredulous looks on their faces as they watched Naruto stuff up yet another D-ranked mission. She wanted to remember how he'd felt underneath her fingertips whenever she'd been lucky enough to touch him. She wanted to remember the way the breeze had shuffled through his dark locks, blowing them out of his eyes just long enough for her to look into them.

But whenever she thought about Sasuke, the first memory that came to her was the memory of him walking away. The first image that came to her mind was his back. The first words that came to her were 'Thank you.' Thank you. What did he have to thank her for - her love, her loyalty? She hadn't wanted him to thank her; she'd wanted him to just _stay_ with her. She'd given her love and her loyalty freely. She had never wanted his gratitude - all she'd wanted was him. Turns out that had been the one thing he hadn't been able give her.

Turns out that was still the case five years later.

"You can't leave."

He was leaving _again_. She was watching his retreating back _again_. She was crying _again_. She was trying to stop him _again_. Wasn't it strange how history repeated itself? How strange and infuriating and so _damn_ annoying. Could they never escape its cruel cycle or was she forever destined to watch the one she loved walk away?

As soon as she had woken that morning, she had known. How could she not have immediately known after the last time? Sp she had run like hell to find him. And she had found him. And he was leaving.

"Goodbye, Sakura."

He didn't even turn around. Did he not think her worth the effort? How could he not after last night?

Last night. She should have figured something like _this_ would happen after something _that_ like had happened. Of course he would try to leave after it was made so obvious that she had broken through his barriers. She must have. He wouldn't have kissed her if she hadn't.

And oh, she could still feel him. She could still feel the warmth of his touch and the pressure on her lips. The butterflies were still flying around in her stomach, refusing to just lie down and die.

Maybe Sasuke felt the same way. Maybe his butterflies weren't dying either. Maybe that was why he was leaving again.

No matter. She had to stop him regardless. She'd be damned if she just watched him go. She hadn't trained for all those years just to watch his retreating back again.

"NO!" she yelled, causing the birds in the trees to fly from their resting places and flutter through the trees, "You can't leave!"

"I can't stay," he stated.

Still his back. She didn't want to look at his back anymore.

"Look at me, Sasuke."

No response.

"Damn it, Sasuke! Just _look_ at me!"

His head turned to regard her and then he slowly turned his body, as if deliberating every inch.

"What?"

"Why are you leaving?" she questioned, tears in her eyes all the while.

Sasuke didn't meet her gaze, deeming the trees to be more interesting that she was. "You know why."

Sakura would have laughed were she not so distressed. He always did that. He always gave an evasive answer. He never said what he meant, always leaving her guessing; leaving open the possibility that she would guess wrong. She hated it. Why couldn't he just say what he meant? Why did he have to make it harder than it was?

"No, actually, I don't."

He finally looked into her eyes and she was chilled by the coldness she saw in them. "It doesn't matter."

She swallowed deeply as she struggled for the right words to say. She was fully aware that her words could affect the outcome of this situation.

"You always say that, but it's not true. It does matter, Sasuke. It has _always_ mattered."

He continued to stare unrelentingly into her eyes jaded with tears she couldn't get rid of. "It doesn't to me."

"You're lying," she didn't have to think about that answer because she knew without a doubt that it was true.

Sasuke's gaze turned scornful. "What would make you assume something so ridiculous?"

"You kissed me, for starters," she stated more calmly that she felt. "You wouldn't have kissed me if nothing mattered."

His gaze didn't falter for more than a second, but it was enough for Sakura to know she had hit the mark.

"That was…a mistake."

She hadn't expected anything else from him, but hearing those words come out of his mouth hurt nonetheless. She sucked in a sharp breath through her clenched teeth and forced her insides not to cave in on themselves.

"That doesn't mean you have to leave," she replied, voice broken yet filled with the hopefulness she felt to her core.

He looked away into the trees. "Yes, it does."

Sakura shut her eyes, but refused to admit defeat. She hadn't come this far for her to just let him go now. "Please, Sasuke. You don't want to do this."

She heard Sasuke sigh in resignation and looked up at him in question.

"It's not a matter of what I do or don't want to do."

"What are you trying to say?" Sakura questioned in confusion.

Sasuke clenched his jaw in apparent frustration before answering. "I'm saying that I don't necessarily _want_ to go; I _have_ to go."

Sakura blinked as she tried to grasp his meaning. "You mean you…want to stay…with me?"

Sasuke's face hardened. "Yes," he bit out abruptly, still looking to the trees.

"Oh." Sakura bit her lip to stop the smile from forming on her lips. And suddenly she couldn't thing of a thing to say. Sasuke had pretty much openly admitted that he cared for her. Sure, he hadn't said those _exact_ words…but what he had said had did over the past few days certainly implied it. He _had_ kissed her, after all. That kiss meant everything. Sasuke wasn't the type of guy who kissed someone when he didn't have to. And he said he wanted to stay with her just. And yesterday he had made her promise to take care of herself and he had defended her even when she hadn't asked him to.

_He cares about me. Sasuke actually cares about me. Not as a teammate or an asset to his goal…just me._

"So stay," she whispered.

"I can't."

A tear rolled down Sakura's cheek; she didn't want to have found that she was worth something Sasuke just to lose him now. "Why?" she whispered.

"Even if I did stay for a while longer, I'd eventually have to leave to kill _him_ anyway. And if I stayed, I'd have my worry for you and my friendship with Naruto weighing on my mind the entire time. When I fight him, I can't have any distractions. I can have no weaknesses, nothing tying me down or holding me back. And right now, that it what you are," he took a deep breath, "I…I might not come back from this fight and that has to be okay. I have to know that I can fight with everything in my being and lay it all on the line. I just can't do that with you there, on my mind, always in my thoughts. I can't do that if a part of me wants nothing more than to stay alive just to return to you."

Another tear slipped down Sakura's cheek as she wrapped her arms around herself. How was it possible to be happy and sad at the same time? "Which means you have to get rid of me, right?"

"Yeah."

_No…this can't be it!_

"But…but our bonds are not weaknesses! Our bonds are what make us strong! You fight harder when you have something to fight for!" she pressed.

Sasuke's gaze hardened. "I have my hatred and my desire for revenge and that is all I need. All _bonds_ have ever done before was cause me to put my life in danger for the sake of someone else's. Tell me, Sakura. How will I kill my brother if I cannot even survive to find him?"

Another cold tear rolled down Sakura's pale cheeks. He was growing cold again. Her Sasuke was growing cold. How had his logic become so twisted that he thought he was better off alone? All she wanted to do was save him…show him that it didn't have to be like that, but he refused to even consider her words.

"Nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?"

"It didn't last time. I don't know why you would think that anything has changed since then," he replied steadily, but they both knew he was dead wrong.

Things had changed since then. Somewhere along the line she had started to mean something to him and Naruto's connection with him was just as strong as before. The only reason he refused to change his mind was because he was more determined than ever to fulfil his ultimate, his only, goal. While she understood his need to revenge his clan, she didn't want him to do it if that meant destroying his humanity in the process.

"Do not lose to him. Don't you understand this is what he wants you to do? He wants you to be miserable and alone! _Don't lose to him_!" she screamed, unable to contain her emotion any longer.

Sasuke's handsome face only showed the slightest bit of irritation. "Don't speak to me as if you know how I feel."

"Then _tell_ me. You don't have to suffer alone," she pleaded.

"It is my burden to bear and it is mine to bear alone."

Sakura closed her eyes at his bluntness. Why was she arguing with him again? She knew it wasn't going to work. But she was at a loss of anything else to do. She needed more time.

_More time…_

"One more day."

"What?" Sasuke questioned, confusion evident in his tone.

Sakura opened her eyes to look into those darks pools of charcoal. "Just stay one more day. If you are going to leave, at least give me some time to get used to the idea - to adjust, to prepare. If we are going to say goodbye, let it be on better terms."

Sasuke clenched his fists by his side, the only sign of any turmoil on his part. After what seemed like minutes of deliberation, he answered.

"Fine, one more day."

Sakura bit her lip to stop a smile from forming. She had gained some time and she had even done it without saying that she loved him.

000

He couldn't believe he'd given in. It just figured. And he'd been going well up until then. As Sakura had tried to convince him to stay, he had remained steadfast in his decision, no matter how tempted he was to just give up and return to her side.

And now as they walked back to the campsite, he could practically feel the happiness radiating from her. Did he really mean that much to her? The thought made his head swim…but he dared not dwell on it further. Who knew what additional repercussions he would procure from it?

He had to continue to remain aloof at all times, no matter what. He couldn't look at Sakura for extended periods of time. He couldn't smile at the way she bit her lip in indecision. He couldn't worry for her safety for no apparent reason. He couldn't feel jealous over the relationship she and Naruto shared. He couldn't be possessive. He couldn't console her in any way. He couldn't let his pulse speed up when she smiled at him. And he could not touch her. If he should, Heaven forbid…he'd never leave.

000

Something was up. Oh boy, did he hate being left out of the circle! Well…seeing as there was only two of them it wasn't exactly a circle…but Naruto was sure being left out of _something_! And he couldn't stand not knowing what that something was!

Sure, sure he understood that Sakura was all grown up now and had certain issues that she had to deal with herself…but when it included Sasuke, well, Naruto couldn't help but feel on edge.

Sasuke had a way of saying things that made the situation worse that it already was. Sure, sure Sakura was smiling like her cheeks were gonna fall apart if she didn't, but that hardly mattered.

What mattered was that something had _definitely_ happened between them. Naruto could just see it so clearly. It wasn't just the way Sakura grinned like a spastic, it was the way they regarded each other.

When they had walked into the clearing that morning, Sasuke was obviously trying to maintain some sort of distance between them. That was the biggest set-off. Sasuke wouldn't bother trying to keep distance between them if there wasn't any reason to do so. And then there'd been the way he'd look at Sakura out the corner of his eye, like he didn't want to admit to even himself that he was looking at her.

And while Sasuke was making it obvious because he was trying to hide it, Sakura was making it obvious just because she was plain acting obvious. There was the way she was smiling, there was the way she'd look at him and blush and, now and then when she was sure he wasn't looking, she'd touch her lips and blush more. Naruto didn't quite get what that all meant, but he was sure it was something to do with the bastard.

"So where were you two?" he asked suspiciously.

Sakura bit her lip, probably trying to think of a good lie, when Sasuke spoke up.

"We went for a walk."

Even Sakura looked surprised at his answer. Now that he thought about it, Sasuke had never been that good at telling out-right lies either.

"A walk?" Naruto repeated, obviously unconvinced.

"Y-yes, Naruto! You weren't awake so…so I let you sleep," Sakura stuttered.

Naruto pouted. "Whatever. Let's just go already." He understood that they didn't want him to know what they'd been up to. Fine. Big deal. He just didn't get why they had to lie to him about it. They could have just said 'It's kinda personal' or something. That's what _he_ would've done because _he_ was _considerate_.

Unlike that bastard Sasuke - he was anything but considerate. Naruto seriously didn't get what Sakura saw in him. Sure, he was kinda cool-looking or whatever and he supposed girls liked that whole moody, dark thing for some weird reason, but other than that there wasn't much else to the guy - just revenge and hatred. Sexy. Not.

And he thought girls liked considerate guys, like him. Coz' Sasuke was seriously the most inconsiderate person he knew. For example, he'd just left Konoha without saying a word to anyone. Sure, Sakura had somehow known, but that was just some weird woman's intuition thing. Sasuke certainly hadn't taken the time to specifically tell anyone. He could have least given them the head's up so they could have, maybe, tried to restrain him, stop him, convince him to stay. But no, he had made Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Neji go after him and almost lose their lives in the process. _Totally_ inconsiderate.

And now he had even made Sakura inconsiderate. Poor, sweet, innocent…yeah, okay so maybe she wasn't all that…but at least she used to be brutally honest! And considerate!

"Naruto, you coming?" Sakura smiled up at him.

_Ah…whatever. _

He could never stay mad at her for more than two seconds anyway. But the bastard was a different story. He could stay made at _him_ for up to five minutes.

000

Sasuke stared ahead as Naruto and Sakura chattered incessantly behind him. He was slightly grateful that they were behind him because then he wasn't so tempted to look at Sakura or, god forbid, join in on the conversation.

They were on the road back to Konoha. He didn't even have to think about where he was going; it was like his feet instinctively knew the way. That was…annoying. To think, that after all these years he still considered that place his home. He supposed it couldn't be helped. Konoha and everything about Konoha had an annoying way off sticking to him and never letting go.

And then there were those 'bonds' that Naruto always talked about. Bonds. What an annoying word. Both Naruto and Sakura claimed that the bonds that threaded them together still existed. He knew they did, he just didn't want them to know that he knew that. It was easier to just deny their existence altogether.

The bonds threading Team Seven together had never broken, which was why he had felt so comfortable with Naruto and Sakura so quickly, though he couldn't understand why they hadn't. When he had left Konoha he had knocked Sakura unconscious and left her on a cold stone bench and he had almost killed Naruto. Surely that was enough to break a mere year's worth of comradeship. He had begun to wonder if they even _could_ be broken, but he got it now. It was so simple.

He could not break the bonds by himself. He thought he could, but it obviously hadn't work. The bonds between him, Naruto and Sakura could only be broken if they _all_ wanted them to be. That was why they had survived all his years of absence. Sakura and Naruto had never given up on him, hence the bonds still existed. It was quite…annoying to know that he could not do it by his actions alone. As long as they still cared for him and still believed in him, they would not be broken and he would forever be held in their grasp.

But perhaps he could break at least one bond - Sakura. Unlike Naruto, she was vulnerable; she was affected by the words he said and what he did. When he had left Konoha, she had been the one who'd been the most affected by it. Not because Naruto didn't care as much as she did, but because she didn't believe as much as Naruto did.

Getting Naruto to break the bond between them was an impossible task. Sasuke wouldn't even try to get Naruto to give it up because he just wouldn't. Naruto didn't know _how_ to give up. But Sakura…he could. He knew he could. He just had to break her.

And that was where the problem lay. He didn't _want_ to break her - he _loved_ her - but if he didn't break her, they would both suffer for it. She would be on his mind when he fought Itachi and she would never be able to move on with her life, despite the fact that he was never coming back.

And of the two bonds that he wanted to break, hers was the one he needed to break the most. He didn't worry about Naruto's wellbeing during battle or any other time, for that matter. He didn't want to touch Naruto for no particular reason. He didn't want to be near Naruto all the time (he actually didn't want to be around him at all most of the time). He didn't want to hold Naruto. And he certainly didn't get infuriated whenever other guys touched Naruto. Thank God for that.

Sure, he had to admit that he liked having Naruto around. He liked it when Naruto filled in the silence. He liked that Naruto considered him his best friend, even now. He liked their rivalry. He admired his passion. Naruto was someone who had wormed his way into his life without him even realizing it. Somewhere along the line when they had been genin, Sasuke had begun to consider Naruto as his closest friend without even realizing it. That was the power Naruto had - that annoying power to make friends with _anyone_, that annoying power to make _anyone_ like him.

But despite all that, Sasuke did not love him. Not like _that_ anyway. That was just…yeah…not going to happen.

But Sakura…he had no idea how he had come to love her but suddenly, or perhaps not so suddenly, she had come to mean more to him than anyone else ever had. Therefore he had to break this bond he had with her. He would eternally regret it if he didn't.

Suddenly Sakura squealed behind him.

He stopped and turned to face her. She was looking at something in the forest while Naruto stood beside her with a bewildered look on his face.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she sighed.

Naruto scratched his head. "I don't get it. What is?"

Sakura gave him a withering look. "I wouldn't expect _you_ to appreciate _real_ beauty, _Na-ru-to_!"

Naruto pouted and looked away. "What_ever_. It's just a bunch of trees, rocks and water."

Sakura ignored him and looked at Sasuke. "Sasuke, come look!"

Sasuke resisted the urge to smile at her antics and made his way over to her. He figured she wouldn't let it go until he had seen whatever it was she wanted him to see anyway.

"Look!" she exclaimed as she pointed into the forest where there was a smallish lake. It had a fairly large waterfall cascading into it, which explained the sound of rushing water he had been hearing for miles. The lake was so clear he could see to the rocky bottom of it even from the distance. Trees surrounded it, casting most of the water into a cool shadow.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"Not particularly." He had to admit it wasn't the most horrible of sights, but he didn't see anything predominantly special about it. But such was the mind of Sakura. She found beauty in the most average things.

Sakura frowned at him. "Well, I wouldn't expect you boys to understand anyway," she said before rolling her eyes and she looking back to the lake. Suddenly, her face lit up. "I know! How about we go for a swim?"

"Alright!" Naruto yelled.

"What?" Sasuke demanded.

Sakura grinned innocently. "Well, we've been walking all day and I'm getting hot and sweaty and tired and I'd like a break and a bath. Here is as good a place as any, wouldn't you say?"

"And you would waste more time with such trivial matters?"

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "A bath is not a waste of time! And some of us need one." She glanced pointedly at Naruto.

"What?" Naruto asked blankly.

Sakura snickered. "Besides, we would have to take a break sometime anyway. Why not here?"

Sasuke well knew by now that it was pointless to argue. "Fine."

"Alright!" Naruto yelled as he raced into the forest and headed towards the lake. Once he got to the end he stripped his shirt and pants off until he was left in his boxers and dived in. He yelled again when his head broke the surface.

"Damn, that's cold!"

Sakura laughed at him as she stood at the water's edge. Sasuke stood a few paces behind her, impassively looking on.

"Serves you right for being so impatient, Naruto! That's a _fresh water_ lake and of course it'd be cold after being under the shade 24-7!"

Naruto shook the water out of his blonde hair as he tread in water. "Aw, who cares? Just come in, Sakura!"

Sakura laughed. "Okay, okay. Just wait a sec!"

Sasuke continued to watch impassively up until the point when Sakura took her dress off, exposing her toned stomach and legs and behind to his dark eyes. His throat went dry as his body started to react to the image before him. He'd _known_ this would be a terrible idea.

Sakura kicked off her shoes and cautiously stepped into the clear water, yelping as her bare skin made contact with the cool liquid.

"Damn, that's cold!"

Naruto laughed, "Told ya! Just jump in, Sakura! You'll get used to it in no time!"

Sakura glared at him, "Says the boy with the abnormal body temperature."

All the while Sasuke was desperately trying not to react to her current state of undress. It was proving to be very difficult.

Naruto splashed Sakura, making her yelp again.

"Quit it, Naruto!"

He just laughed and did it again. Now beads of water glistened on her pale skin as the light hit it through the trees, making Sasuke's attempt at looking away just that bit harder.

"Naruto, if you keep doing that I won't come in!" Sakura threatened.

"Oh really?" he said in her ear as he suddenly appeared behind her.

Sakura gasped in shock as his bare arms snaked around her torso, "Don't you dare!"

Naruto laughed as he leaped from the ground, taking Sakura with him. As they sailed through the air, Sakura punched him in the head and he disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. _A shadow clone?_ He hadn't even seen Naruto make the hand signs. Perhaps that was because he had been staring at Sakura the entire time. But then again she obviously hadn't seen it either, so he must have done it under water.

Sakura screamed and desperately made some hand signs, but it was too late. By the time she had made the last hand sign she had plummeted into the icy water.

Sasuke watched with a smirk on his face as the bubbles around Sakura disappeared and her head cleared the surface. Naruto laughed hysterically as she gasped at the coldness of the water.

Sakura glared at Naruto, but her chattering teeth kind of ruined the effect so Naruto just laughed more. "I am _so_ going to kill you, Naruto!"

"Aw, come on, Sakura! You wouldn't have gotten in if I hadn't done that!" Naruto replied with a grin on his face as he swam towards her.

Sakura eyed him predatorily. "I would have gotten in eventually! That just made the experience that much more unpleasant!"

Naruto stopped a few feet from her. "Just forget about it! You're in now! And you can't stay mad at me anyway!"

Sakura smirked, "I can stay mad at you long enough to beat you to a pulp!"

Naruto just laughed again. Sasuke was sure that at any other time he'd be running for the hills, but he had to admit that Sakura didn't look too intimidating at the moment.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up!" Sakura scowled. "Now I'm freezing, thanks to you!"

Naruto didn't reply, but simply swam up to Sakura and put his arms around her.

Sakura eyed him suspiciously, but didn't pull away. "What are you doing?"

Naruto grinned at her as Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You said you were cold, right? This will make you warmer, won't it?"

One side of Sakura's mouth lifted in a half smile, "Yeah, but-"

Her sentence was cut off when Naruto started rubbing his face into her neck, causing her to laugh.

"Won't it, Sakura? Won't it? Won't it?"

Sakura giggled as she half-heartedly tried to push Naruto's head away, "Stop it, Naruto!" she giggled again. "Stop!"

Naruto's arms tightened around her, "Sa-ku-ra…"

"Naruto!" she squealed as he tickled her stomach.

On the shore, Sasuke clenched his fists by his side and ground in jaw in a bid to maintain control over his roaring emotions. Sakura and Naruto were in each others arms in water partially clothed and they were _flirting_. Sure, he knew their feelings towards each other were only platonic, but who knew when that could change? They were certainly comfortable enough with each other. They certainly cared enough about each other. They certainly didn't mind kissing each other.

They had kissed each other, what, five times now? Five times. _Five times_. And ones of those times wasn't just a kiss…they had gone much further. Partially clothed. Naruto sure had seemed happy enough with that. Sakura had been embarrassed, but not disgusted. It was only a matter of time before their friendship turned into attraction and progressed from there. And after he left, it would be the perfect time for that to happen. Sakura would be upset, no doubt, and who would be there to comfort her? Naruto would.

He had never really felt threatened by Naruto concerning…well…concerning anything, really. Sure, he had be quite a rival when they'd be younger, but now? Not so much. Yet it seemed Naruto was his biggest threat yet, even more so than that Yakugi guy had been.

But could he really ask for anything better for Sakura? Naruto was a dedicated guy and Sasuke knew he would always be there for her and give her everything she needed. That was a good thing, right? And if Sakura had to be with anyone other than him, Naruto was the best choice, right? But seeing it pan out before him made his blood boil and he wanted nothing more than to dive into that cold water and rip them apart.

_Five times._

He couldn't get over that. They had kissed _five times_. He had only kissed Sakura _three_ times and on only one occasion. There was clearly some ground that needed covering. But when would he have a chance to do it? Never, because he couldn't strengthen the bond between them. He couldn't let it develop any more than it already had.

He needed to get away from them before he did something stupid.

000

Sakura's laughter died as she noticed Sasuke walking off. She disentangled herself from Naruto and swam towards the shore.

"Sasuke, where are you going?" she asked.

Sasuke paused and looked at her evenly. "Up there," he said before his gaze travelled to the top of the waterfall.

Sakura bit the inside of her lip, "Oh, okay."

Without another word, Sasuke continued to head towards the waterfall. Sakura stared after him. She was disappointed that he wasn't going to come in, but she had never really expected him to anyway. It was too…un-Sasuke-like.

Naruto swam to her side, grinning manically, "It worked, didn't it?"

Sakura looked at him blankly, "What did?"

"I distracted you enough so that you wouldn't be thinking about how cold you were!" he replied, apparently very please with himself.

Sakura smiled at him. She loved Naruto, she really did, just not like she loved Sasuke. God knows she had tried to love him like that. She knew that if she said she loved him, Naruto would just open his heart and love her right back. That's just how he was. But how could she do that to him when there would always be a Sasuke-shaped shadow looming across her heart? Naruto deserved much more than her second-rate love. He needed someone like Hinata, who had enough patience and love to last five lifetimes. And Hinata needed someone like Naruto, who would bring her out of her shell and would not care how shy she was. She was proper and refined and reserved and he was the dirt opposite of that. They were _made_ for each other.

_That's it. When I get back to Konoha, I'm officially beginning Operation: Get Hinata and Naruto Together!_

Hopefully it'd distract her enough from the fact that Sasuke wouldn't be there.

_Enough! He is going to stay!_

Maybe if she kept believing it, it'd come true. She had yet to think of a way to get him to stay in Konoha with them or at least agree to come back after he killed Itachi.

"Yeah, it worked," she finally replied. "Thanks, Naruto."

Naruto peered into her face, "Hey, Sakura."

Sakura leaned back a bit. "What…?"

A smile cracked his serious façade, "You want Sasuke to come into the water, right?"

Sakura looked up at Sasuke who was now sitting on a rock on top of the waterfall. The wind rustled through his clothing and hair as he sat as still as the rock he was sitting on. He looked as handsome and as untouchable as ever.

"Yeah, but there's no way we could convince him to come in," she replied forlornly.

Naruto's grin grew wider, "Who said anything about convincing him?"

Sakura turned to Naruto, eyes wide, "You wouldn't!"

Naruto laughed mischievously, "Why not? The look on his face would be priceless!"

Sakura scowled, "He'd also kill you afterwards."

Naruto laughed, "It'd be worth it! Come on, Sakura!"

Sakura sighed in frustration. Naruto and his pranks; he'd never grow tired of them. "Do what you want, but I won't be any part of it!"

Naruto made a sound of protest, "What? Please, Sakura!"

Sakura gave him a look, "No, and that's final! Just be glad that I'm not stopping you from doing it in the first place!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "You're no fun."

Sakura shook her head in disagreement, "No, I just know what's good for me."

"Whatever. Just watch and learn!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. She didn't want to _learn_ anything, but she had to admit she was curious to see what Sasuke's face would look like.

000

Sasuke grit his teeth together as he forced himself to calm down. He should have left this morning. If he had, he wouldn't have to deal with all…all _this_. He had accepted the fact that he would never see Sakura again and that she would eventually move on, but now he wasn't finding it so hard to accept when he saw how it would happen.

Some other guy, whether it be Naruto or not, would be flirting with her, would be saying that he was interested in her and she would blush and smile and say she was interested too. Then they'd go out on a date or two. He'd buy her dinner, he'd hold her hand. She'd smile, he'd smile. It would all be so romantic and perfect. Then as the relationship progressed, the guy would start to mean more and more to Sakura and her memory of Sasuke would eventually fade into a forgotten corner of her mind. As they started to like each other more, they'd start kissing and they'd start going further and further until they ended up…

_Enough!_

This train of thought wasn't getting him anywhere. He should be happy that Sakura would find someone who could give her all the things he couldn't. He couldn't go on romantic dates or hold her hand as they walked down the street. He couldn't buy her flowers just because he felt like it or surprise her on her birthday. He couldn't 'settle down' and make a permanent commitment. Some other guy could.

_Some other guy…_

If there was any guy he could approve of being with Sakura, it'd be Naruto. Sure, he was an idiot, but he'd care for her. At least Sasuke knew he would take care of her and she wouldn't pick some lowlife who wouldn't pay her the slightest bit of attention or break her trust. He didn't think Naruto would let that happen anyway. He just wished they'd at least wait until he'd left before they started getting closer.

Even now their heads were together, talking privately. It was probably some joke to do with a part of their lives he didn't know about or someone he didn't know about or…

"Hey, Sasuke!" two identical voices called from behind him.

Sasuke stood up and spun around, alarm bells ringing. It was never a good thing when Naruto's doppelgangers showed up. They had huge grins on their faces as they rushed towards him. Sasuke's eyes widened.

_He wouldn't…_

But that was just the thing. Naruto would. And he did.

Sasuke found himself sailing through the air as Naruto's copies pushed him off the edge. Sasuke tried to pull his hands together to make some hand signs to get him the hell out of there, but he found he couldn't move his hands. He looked to his right and found a grinning copy of Naruto holding his arm in a firm grip. A look to his left determined that the same thing was happened there.

Sasuke looked down at the rapidly approaching water and only one thought came to mind.

_I'm going to kill him._

000

Sakura put her hands before her face as Sasuke hit the water, causing the spray to reach her. Oh man, was he going to be _pissed_! Naruto was going to _get it_!

But Naruto didn't seem to care as he was currently almost drowning himself because he was laughing so hard.

"You shoulda seen the look on his face when I pushed him! It was priceless! _Priceless_!"

Sakura gave him a withering look, "Well, I hope it was worth it because he is _so_ going to kill you."

Naruto grinned, "Looking forward to it."

_Boys._

Sakura's attention was drawn back to Sasuke as his head broke the surface. He shook the water out of his hair, spraying her in the face. When he turned to glare at Naruto, Sakura's breath caught in her throat.

Never had he looked so damn _good_. His hair was dishevelled, some bits sticking to his face, some sticking out like it normally did, with beads of water running down the pale skin of his face. She just wanted to touch his skin, just to see if it was real.

And he looked pissed. _Really_ pissed.

"You're dead," he stated simply, like it was a widely known fact that Naruto was about to die and there was no room for argument.

Naruto just grinned mischievously, "Just try it."

Sakura didn't care. She just wanted to look at Sasuke. He just looked so perfect at that moment and…

"AH!"

Sakura twirled around as Naruto disappeared underwater, as if he had been dragged down.

_What the…_

She looked at Sasuke in bewilderment, "What did you do?"

Sasuke shrugged before he started to swim to the shore, "I just summoned some sea snakes."

"To do _what_?" she demanded incredulously.

"Drown him. Maim him. I don't care, either one."

He said it so casually that Sakura was afraid that he was actually serious. "Well…make them disappear! They might actually kill him."

"That is kind of the point," he replied neutrally.

Sakura felt all the blood drain from her face, "Sasuke…"

Sasuke smirked at her and made some hand signs, "Idiot…I wasn't actually going to kill him. If I were going to do that, I'd do it with my own hands."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Oh, _that's_ reassuring!" she started to swim to the shore before it hit her, "You…you made a joke?"

Naruto's head appeared above the surface of the water before Sasuke could respond, gasping for breath as he fixed Sasuke with an incredulous stare. "What the hell was that, you bastard?"

Sasuke ignored him and kept his eyes on Sakura, "Hardly. I was merely testing your reaction."

"Oi, are you listening to me! I said, what the hell was that?"

Sakura ignored Naruto in favour of giving Sasuke a disbelieving look, "Testing my reaction? Even Naruto could come up with a better lie than that."

"_HEY!_"

Sasuke walked up the rocky bank and out of the water, his wet clothes clinging to him.

And Sakura momentarily forgot how to breathe. _Now if that isn't a sight for sore eyes…_

"I wasn't lying," Sasuke declared before he peeled off his wet shirt.

Sakura's heart leapt into her throat as his pale torso of lean muscle was revealed to her. His body was no better than Naruto's or any other male shinobi's she knew, but none of their bodies had _this_ kind of affect on her. She was suddenly getting very hot in that very cold water.

"Um…what are you doing?" she squeaked, Naruto's cries of indignation but a mild mumbling in her ears.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her as he wrung out his shirt. "Did you really expect me to walk around in wet clothing?"

Sakura felt her blood rush to her face, "Uh…no." That also meant he'd be walking around half-naked until his clothes dried. She had the sudden urge to thank Naruto for his little prank from which she reaped all the benefits and not the beating.

But Sakura almost fainted when Sasuke dropped his pants, leaving him in nothing but his boxers.

_Inhale…exhale…inhale…exhale…_

This was the most of Sasuke she had ever seen and boy was she enjoying the view! She helplessly stared on as Sasuke wrung out his clothes, marvelling in the way his muscles bunched and moved under his skin with every movement. He shook out his wet hair again, but for some reason she saw it in slow motion which made the casual action unbelievably sexy.

He turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow, "Are you done staring at me?"

Sakura's blush deepened, "Uh…"

"What the hell, bastard!" Naruto thankfully interrupted before she was required to respond, "Were you trying to kill me?" he continued as he strode out of the water and poked Sasuke in the chest.

Sasuke glared at the offending finger then calmly looked up at Naruto, "Yes, I was."

"Why the hell would you do something like that?" Naruto demanded.

Sasuke looked down over his lack of clothing and then looked back at Naruto with a raised eyebrow as if to say 'Gee…I dunno' or in Sasuke-talk 'Yes, whatever would I do something like that for?'

Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, "Oh, right. That."

Sasuke gritted his jaw, "Yes…that."

"Well, since you already got wet, why don't you come back in?"

"No."

"Aw, come on, Sasuke!"

"No."

Sakura walked out of the water and smiled at Sasuke, trying not to get distracted by his dripping wet body, "Why don't you come in, Sasuke? Like Naruto said, you might as well."

Sasuke smirked as he turned to her and then gave her an appraising look up and down her body. Sakura's face flamed and she had the biggest urge to shield her body from his gaze. But she wanted him to look at the same time.

"Fine."

Sakura's face broke out in a smile, "Great!" She grabbed both Sasuke and Naruto's hands and pulled them into the water.

As Naruto swam around them and Sasuke looked bored, Sakura couldn't think of a time when she had felt happier. They were together - Team 7 - and it was exactly how it was supposed to be. It was perfect. If things stayed like this forever, she'd be content. Even if nothing happened between her and Sasuke, she'd be content. Just so long as he was _there_.

And then suddenly she had an idea.

"Hey, Naruto! How long can you hold you breath underwater?" she asked innocently, as if she really was curious.

Naruto paused swimming at looked at her blankly, "About two minutes. Why?"

Sakura bit her lip and looked up at him with wide eyes, "That's pretty impressive. Can you show me?"

Naruto beamed, "Yeah, sure!"

Sakura grinned evilly as his head ducked under the surface, grabbed Sasuke's wrist and started pulling him towards the waterfall.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked coldly, but he didn't try to pull away.

"Payback," she giggled. "There's a spot behind the waterfall we can hide in. Naruto will have no idea where we are. He can't smell anything in water and he doesn't know there's anything behind the waterfall."

"And you do?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura nodded, "Yep. You can hear the difference in the sound, like if you tap a wall that has a hollow space behind it - it sounds different."

Sasuke didn't reply and they ducked under the beating waterfall. When they came up for air, they were in a hollow cavern. The light from the water reflected up onto the low ceiling of the cavern, shivering with every move she and Sasuke made.

"Wow, this is so cool," Sakura whispered, her voice sounding hollow in the empty space.

Her head barely cleared the surface if she stood on the tip of her toes, so she figured Sasuke must be pretty comfortable. She looked over at him to find his shoulders well above the water line, damn him.

The cavern extended a couple of meters back and she swam to the farthest corner of it. "So Naruto can't see our silhouettes," she explained.

Sasuke nodded and swam to her.

Sakura could feel her heart pound in her chest and wondered if Sasuke could hear it. He did have that super-sensitive hearing now, after all. She could only hope that the dull roar of the waterfall covered it.

_Oh, how embarrassing! Great idea, Sakura! This is working out __really__ well._

It was just that being alone with Sasuke in such a small space in water without much clothing on made her nervous, to say the least. She was hyper-aware of every movement and every sound. The silence just made her heart beats seem louder. She had to end the silence somehow, but what to say?

"So…um…"

"What does Naruto mean to you?" Sasuke asked suddenly, completely taking Sakura by surprise.

Sasuke _never_ instigated conversations and _especially_ not with questions like _that_. "Uh…well…"

_Just answer the man!_

"Naruto is my best friend. He is the person I am closest to," Sakura tried gauge Sasuke's reaction to her words, but there wasn't one. He just seemed to be thinking.

"And that is all; nothing else."

Sakura cocked her head to the side as she tried to figure out what Sasuke meant. Maybe if she just fluked it and said something off the top of her head, he'd say something else so she attempt could understand what he was getting at.

"Well…I don't know."

Yep…fluking it.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, "You don't know?"

So much for further enlightenment.

"Um…well, Naruto is Naruto. I don't know if there could be…more. I mean, its Naruto!" Sasuke seemed satisfied with this answer for whatever reason, but for the life of her, she couldn't seem to shut up. "Well, there was this one time when I thought that I was in love with him!"

Sasuke stiffened immediately, but she kept going. Maybe it was because she wanted to understand his reaction or maybe it was because she nervous.

"Yeah, it was pretty weird. I'd find myself watching him train for no particular reason and I'd actually _pay_ for his ramen and I wouldn't decline when he asked me to stay over at his shoddy apartment that stunk to high heaven and I wouldn't push him away when he spooned me in my sleep."

Sasuke grit his jaw and his shoulders were tense. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, it surprised me more than anyone. But I was totally freaking out, so I told Ino about it. She was shocked, to say the least. I said I wasn't entirely sure if I loved him, so she said I should test it out. So I just went right up to him and kissed him."

"Really," Sasuke deadpanned.

"Yeah. You can't imagine how relieved I was when it felt like kissing Kakashi-sensei. Not that I'd _know_ what it's like to kiss Kakashi-sensei. That's just _wrong_. But yeah…I'd imagine it would feel something like how I felt when I kissed Naruto," Oh crap, she was rambling, "I mean, I wasn't disgusted, I just didn't feel _anything_. It was just lips on lips and nothing else. I suppose that's a good thing because of what happened during that mission I had with Naruto." Now she was _really_ rambling. "It wouldn't have been good if I had been disgusted by the thought of kissing him. It was just like…whatever."

"I see."

"So yeah, I've kissed Naruto five times. It wasn't _that_ bad." Why couldn't she shut up? "I guess I'd do it again if I had to, but I'd prefer not to."

"Five times," Sasuke spoke as if he were speaking to himself more than her.

Sakura blinked up at him, "Uh…yeah; five times."

"Hm…" Sasuke murmured before he snaked his arm around Sakura's waist, pulled her to him, and kissed her.

Sakura's eyes shut of their own accord as her mind blanked out completely. She didn't need or want to be thinking right now.

After a few seconds, Sasuke removed his lips from hers, leaving her wide-eyed, gasping for air and wanting more.

His other hand trailed up her neck as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Four."

Then he cupped her face with his hand and kissed her again, harder this time. Sakura's eyes shut again and this time she pressed back. It was a bit longer before he pulled back this time, but it still wasn't enough to satiate her.

He leaned forward and whispered in her other ear, "Five."

Sakura didn't understand why he was counting, but she didn't much care either. She just wanted him to kiss her again. And again. And then some more.

And then Sasuke's lips were on hers and her back was against the cliff and his body was pressing into hers and she could feel his bare skin on her bare skin as her hands thread through his dark hair, pulling his face even closer.

His hand left her back and she felt it on her thigh, slowly moving higher until it was on her backside. Sakura gasped and Sasuke took the opportunity to open his mouth against hers and slide his tongue in. Sakura instinctively wrapped her leg around Sasuke's hips, pressing his torso against hers. His hand dug into her flesh and she moaned into his mouth, causing him to smirk against her lips.

Sakura rolled her hips against his and he groaned in reaction. It was her turn to smirk, but it only made Sasuke more determined. His other hand left her face to trail up her side and he kissed her harder, letting his tongue slide along hers.

Sakura whimpered and he just kept on kissing her like they wouldn't live to see tomorrow. Hell, if he kept going on like this, she didn't _want_ to see tomorrow. She just wanted to stay in that moment for as long as possible.

"Sakura! Sasuke!"

She felt Sasuke's lips leave hers as Naruto's voice permeated the silence that surrounded them. Now that her mouth was no longer occupied, her gasps intruded into the silence.

She had _totally_ forgotten that they had been hiding from Naruto.

"Where are you guys?" he yelled from a distance.

Sasuke chuckled and Sakura bit her swollen lip when she realized what position they were currently in. She had her leg around Sasuke's hips and his hand was on her ass and his bare torso was pressed up against her almost-bare torso and she could feel his muscles move against hers and they were in water and this was the most erotic thing she had ever experience and she was with _Sasuke_.

And for some strange reason that was totally beyond her, she didn't care why he was kissing her like he was. Sure, she was curious, but it just seemed so…so _right_ that she didn't bother to question it. She was afraid that Sasuke would see their position and pull away when he realized what it was they were doing and what it meant, but he hadn't pulled away so far so maybe he'd stay with her just this one time.

Sasuke looked back at her, their eyes meeting, their faces still only inches apart. Sakura felt her cheeks flame and hoped Sasuke wouldn't notice. But that was stupid. Of course he would.

He smirked, "Naruto's looking for us."

"I know," she replied breathlessly.

So he was fully aware of the position they were in and he hadn't moved. That was a good sign.

"Let's see how long it takes for him to find us."

As Sasuke took her mouth with his, Sakura found herself thinking that she hoped they could be lost in here forever.

000

Sasuke didn't quite know what he was doing, but he didn't quite care either. He could taste Sakura's lips and feel her skin against his and that was all he cared about at that moment. He opened his mouth against hers and she willingly complied. Then he turned his head and slanted his mouth against hers to deepen the kiss and she willingly complied to that as well. And when he drew her bottom lip through his teeth, she moaned and the sound was euphoric to him. He wanted to hear it again, so he started kissing her neck. She arched her head in the opposite direction and pressed her body up against him harder, so he figured she liked it.

He moved his hand up her side and it felt that much better because it was underwater. Her hand moved from his hair to grip his shoulder and his muscles flinched under her touch. Then she was running her hands down his arms and over his bare back like she wanted to feel as much of him as possible. The feel of her hands running against his bare skin under the water made him shiver.

"Sa-ku-ra! Sa-suke! Where a-a-are you?"

He could hear Naruto yelling for them, but he was too busy kissing Sakura's neck to care. He didn't know if Sakura noticed (and judging by her current state, probably not) but the position they were in was the exact position she had been in with Naruto when they had made out during the mission. That was why he had pushed her up against the wall and put his hand on her backside. Though the position was the same, he had a feeling her response was entirely different and he felt a rush of pride because he knew it was because of him.

The thought triggered something urgent in him, and the quickening of his breath elicited the same urgency in her. Suddenly, the slow seduction became a rush of skin and bodies and lips and tongue. They were desperate, grasping at each other, pushing and pulling against bare skin as though it were a battle of wills, of passion. His breathe came in heavy pants and gasps, hers in moans of pleasure too great to hold within. His hands were everywhere, in her hair, on her body, on her face. Sakura clutched at him, nails biting, as though she could sink into him if he was just close enough.

"Sakura! Sasuke!"

Sasuke halted. Naruto's voice was too close. He'd find them any second now.

He kissed her one last time, slowly this time, letting it linger, savouring the taste of her before he pulled back, "He's almost found us."

Sakura looked dazed and her eyes were fluttering, "So?"

Sasuke smirked at her reaction to him. He doubted anyone had ever made her feel the way he did.

"We should go," he said in response, though he wanted nothing more than to continue what he had been doing.

"No, let's stay," Sakura breathed before she pulled his head down to her and bought her lips to his in a desperate kiss.

He couldn't help but respond with a force and _necessity_ that astounded him. Of the six times they had kissed, he had always been the one to instigate it. But when she did it there was something different about it, something that snapped his control as if it were a mere twig.

"Wait, are you behind that waterfall?"

_Damn it!_

He reluctantly pulled his lips away, "Sakura…"

"Sasuke, I love you."


	21. The Last Time

**A/N: Okay, wow. This is the last **_**official **_**chapter! After this I am posting an epilogue (just to close up the story) and an extended summary for the sequel. I will explain what I am planning with the sequel in an author's note before the epilogue.**

**Enjoy!**

**The Last Time**

_I will run and hide _

_Till memories fade away_

_And I will leave behind _

_A love so strong_

**_- "Hide", _****Red**

"_Sasuke, I love you."_

If there were ever four words that could skewer his heart, his rationality, his purpose and his resolve…those four words were it.

Somehow he had known she was still in love with him. It was in the little things she did and said that went far beyond the normal care one had for a mere long-lost friend or teammate.

Somewhere along the line he had almost come to depend on her love. It was constant, stable; the one thing he knew would never change though everything else would.

And the thought that she loved him was almost enough to send him over the edge, tumbling into a chasm of rushed emotions and forgotten dreams. He _wanted_ her to love him. Yes, he did. He just hadn't wanted her to say it because if she said it…everything would change. He knew it without a doubt. Because if she said it, if she said 'Sasuke, I love you', he could no longer try to ignore it. He could no longer pretend he didn't know. If he didn't know, he didn't have to respond to it.

And with such a confession came two possible responses. One was 'I love you, too.' Four words that could make her heart sing and possibly burst with happiness. Weren't those the words Sakura had been longing to hear since she'd met him?

The other response was total and utter rejection. She'd received a large dose of that from him before. God only knew it must have been hard for her to say it again, to risk that rejection again. Before, he simply had not cared. Now…now things were different.

And he had those two distinct thoughts he seemed to have whenever it came to matters concerning Sakura - he knew what he _should_ do, but that was totally different from what he actually _wanted_ to do.

He _should_ reject her. He should tell her she was stupid and foolish and fanciful and naïve and that he could – _would_ - never love her. Her heart would inevitably be broken and he doubted she could live through it twice. He would have effectively broken all ties with her; all lingering bonds. He would be free from her influence. And wasn't that what he had wanted to accomplish? If he told her now, after all that had occurred between them, that he didn't love her she would be gone forever.

But God, he _did_ love her. He _wanted_ to tell her that. He wanted to see the expression of wonder on her face as he uttered the words. He wanted to make her happier than she had ever been…and all because of him. Simply because of him. And he wanted her to be happy because she deserved to be, because she deserved nothing other than happiness and completion.

But he couldn't. The words seemed stuck in his throat, slowly squeezing the breath out of him, making his chest unbearable tight. And there was also Itachi to consider. His duty. Hadn't his duty always come first? He had put his duty, his _goal_, before everything - before his village, before his comfort, before his friends. And now he had to put it before love.

But he also didn't want to _completely_ reject her. He didn't think he would be able to take the look of pain on her face. He didn't think he could stand the thought of her never being there for him. God, he _needed_ her, much the same way he needed his revenge.

He was torn - torn between his need for revenge and his need for her; torn between what he should do and what he wanted to do; torn between rejection and reciprocation.

_What do I say?_

He hadn't the faintest idea.

And there she was, still in his arms, gazing up at him with those bottomless green eyes of hers in love and in anticipation and in fear.

"Sakura…I…I…"

And then she was looking at him as if she knew what he wanted to say but couldn't, but still not sure at the same time. She was looking at him with understanding and the love was still there, but the pain was new. It was like she knew she was something to him but whatever it was, it still wasn't enough.

Nothing would _ever_ be enough. Not even her. Only the blood of his brother would be enough.

He wished she had been enough. He didn't think he had ever wanted anything more. It was a strange feeling, because he was used to usually getting what he wanted. And he wanted her now, but he couldn't have her and not because of any outside interference, but simply because she wasn't enough. At least not for now. He hoped that by the time his business with Itachi was done with, she would be out of his system for good otherwise she would plague him like an incurable disease.

"I'm sorry, just forget about it. Forget I said anything."

He highly doubted he'd forget it, but thought it wise not to mention so. Actually, he still couldn't quite think of anything to say…or do. His mind was blank and yet reeling in every different direction at the same time and it was the most peculiar feeling he had ever experienced.

But one thought was clear amongst the mess of his mind and emotions and it was the one thought he longed to voice, but since he couldn't, he decided he would find his own solace in it, though Sakura could not do the same. So maybe if he thought it hard enough she would understand without him having to say a word.

_I love you, too._

000

When it became obvious that Sasuke wasn't about to move anytime soon Sakura decided to take the initiative to untangle herself from their now awkward embrace. It seemed surreal to her that only a few moments ago that had been - for all intents and purposed of the word - making-out. Quite passionately, at that.

But of course then she had had to ruin the magic by uttering the three words he could never possibly return.

"_Sasuke, I love you."_

_Yeah, real smart, Sakura. _Real_ smart._

Somehow she had even known in the seconds before she had spoken them that they wouldn't be returned, yet she had said them anyway. She knew she was just going to get hurt again, but she'd said them anyway. It was just that it had suddenly become urgent for her to say them. She'd just wanted him to _know_, despite what that meant for her. She wanted him to know that, no matter what, she would love him; that, despite everything, she still loved him.

She didn't quite know what she had been expecting as a response upon uttering those loaded words. Part of her had feared his rejection. She knew what that tasted like. His rejection was bitter and cutting and as cold as ice, freezing her to her very core.

Another part of her, a tiny part that betrayed all good reason, had hoped for reciprocation. His actions towards her thus far and showed that he at least cared for her to some large degree. And his other actions – the decidedly more physical ones – suggested that he not only cared, but desired to some large degree. He had been possessive and jealous and somehow sweet and caring and all that had been mixed with his usual emotionless façade so she thought that maybe, just maybe, he might love her.

But that was a stupid thought and she knew it. Though Sasuke may care for her, love was a totally different level altogether. Love wasn't just about desire and caring about what happened to the other person. It was about wanting to put their happiness above all else; putting _them_ above all else, even their own sense of self-preservation and happiness. And she knew that if Sasuke asked anything of her - anything at all - she would not hesitant to comply because she just wanted him to be happy. Hell, she would even jump off a freaking cliff he it made him happy! God, it sounded like the corniest thing she could ever think of, but it was so _true_.

And if she wasn't enough to keep Sasuke with them, then he was too far gone, even for love. And she despaired at the thought that there was nothing she could do about it. She was sure that in time Naruto would be able to hunt him down and drag him back by force, but what then? What kind of existence would that be? He'd be there with her - which she wanted as much as she wanted air to breathe - but she'd constantly live with the knowledge that he had never really _wanted_ to come back and that no matter what feelings he may hold towards her, they hadn't been enough for him to come back of his own free will. And he would always hold it against her, too. He would always despise her for giving him a weakness.

But he didn't _not_ love her, either. He hadn't exactly rejected her…nor accepted her. She couldn't quite be sure of what he was thinking. All she could determine was that he didn't know himself. Either that or he did know, but just didn't know how to respond. Or at least that's what she was hoping. Again, she couldn't be sure. And that was frustrating. The only thing worse about not being loved in return was not _knowing_ if one was being loved in return…maybe.

Sakura sighed and ducked under the curtain of water, only to meet Naruto's scowling profile on the other side.

_Oh, right. Naruto._

She had totally forgotten about him. Poor guy.

"What were you doing behind there?"

Sakura blinked at him, "Hiding…I think." The details were furry.

Naruto pouted in his way, "Why would you do that?"

Now that she thought about it, she couldn't quite remember. Everything before the past ten minutes seemed like a lifetime ago; a different day, at least.

"Um…can't quite remember, sorry."

Naruto stared at her incredulously, "You can't _remember_?"

Sakura shrugged and Naruto shook his head in disbelief.

"Where is that bastard, anyway?"

As if appearing on cue, Sasuke's head came out of the water and he pinned Sakura and Naruto with a hard stare, "Let's get moving. We'll be late."

Naruto stared after him as he got out of the water, "Late for what?"

Sakura hadn't a clue, but she didn't much care either. She could slowly feel her fragile calmness cracking under the force of Sasuke's coldness that was wrapped around him like an iceberg. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he _had_ rejected her, just not with words this time. Maybe he had not even deemed her important enough for a response. Maybe all this time he had just been stringing her along, just to test her capacity to compromise. Just to see how far she would go. And she had said she loved him.

_Oh God, no…_

Suddenly her vision seemed unable to focus and she was shaking and her body didn't feel like hers anymore.

She had been rejected before, yes, but that was when he had given no indication of interest whatsoever. He had _never_ given her the impression that he had cared or wanted her, much less loved her. She had been young and naïve and stupid and desperate for him to stay.

This time around she was still fairly young and still faintly naïve and still quite stupid and even more desperate for him to stay, but this time he had been different. He _had_ given her reason to believe he cared. And if…and if it was all a _lie_…

Then that meant he had used her. And if he had used her…well, there was only so much abuse a heart could take before it was beyond repair.

And he would do it, too. It was just like the Sasuke he had become. Cold and ruthless and uncaring and ruthless…

_No. He's not really like that. He's __not__. _

As she looked back on their time together, she just knew…she _knew_ that he wasn't as cold and ruthless and uncaring as he appeared to be. She had seen a different side of him - his true side, the part of himself he kept so deeply hidden within the confines of his pain.

But if there was still that chance that he _had_ used her and…

"Sakura, if you're that cold, you should get out of the water," Naruto stated and Sakura realized she was still shaking.

"Uh…"

But that was all she could manage because as soon as Naruto had spoken, Sasuke's eyes had flashed to hers and he was looking at her with an intensity that was anything but cold. He was…he was…

Worried. He was worried.

_That can't be right._

She blinked, but his gaze still held hers and it was steadily growing more intense, like was trying to convey a message simply by the force of his thoughts.

Sakura blinked again and tried to grasp for meaning, but came up blank. She stares back at him, trying to convey a message of her own.

_Sasuke, I cannot read thoughts._

But at that moment, she really wished she could.

000

There were only a few options left for them now. None of them were acceptable. None of them were beneficial.

It had started out as a grand plan; one of his best. He had stayed unmoving for so long, stayed in waiting just so it would be perfect. There was no other choice but to wait for there were other determining factors. That was…annoying. But it was still perfect. It _had_ _been_ perfect. The other determining factors were what made it perfect for they were not expected.

For how could Konoha possibly expect an alliance between Sound and the Akatsuki? It was true that they each had a goal that bought them together; their common enemy made them friends. But even though Konoha knew that, they still would never have fathomed such an alliance. It was too brilliant; too risky.

Yes, it had been risky. Though their common enemy made them unsteady alliances, he knew the Akatsuki wanted to kill him. But so long as the Jinchuuriki still lived, they wouldn't waste their time with him.

So he had made the alliance. The Akatsuki wanted the Jinchuuriki and the Jinchuuriki was in Konoha and he wanted Konoha, so the only plausible plan was to join forces to destroy Konoha. He would get his prize, and they would get their beast. Their combined forces – his manpower and their exquisite skill – would be unstoppable. Konoha would not only be unprepared, but undermanned. No doubt nearly half of their best shinobi would be out settling the disturbances his undercover agents would cause. And the Leader had promised some men from the Rain Village to aid. Yes, they would certainly take Konoha.

He was fully aware that once the Akatsuki had acquired their final beast, they would endeavour to kill him. He was a nuisance to them and he knew too much. That was fine. He had prepared. He would let them take the Jinchuuriki and he would take over Sasuke's body and once he had taken over Sasuke's body, he would hunt them down with his most elite of nin and kill them. They process of extracting a Tailed beast from its Jinchuuriki was a lengthy one and required a lot of chakra. The process would be made even longer and harder since they had lost almost half of their members due to Konoha. He would finish them off when they least suspected it. So then, not only would he have Konoha and Sasuke's body, he would have the nine Tailed Beasts. It was simply perfection.

But there was only one wild card in this equation; the one thing that had not been perfect, the one thing that had ruined it all.

Uchiha Sasuke.

He had first been attracted to the young man's eyes - they were what he desired most in his new body. Then he had been intrigued by Sasuke's insatiable lust for power and revenge. At that point he knew he could use the young Uchiha to his advantage; just another chest piece, but not one as insignificant as a pawn. No…Sasuke was his Queen.

And so he had nurtured the boy's talent and fed his hatred. His desire for revenge made him predictable…and malleable. Sasuke had become as powerful and cold and ruthless as he had expected and he knew that even if he could not yet take over his body, that he could manipulate the boy into doing his will without even knowing it.

But the problem with Sasuke was that he had still never quite let go of himself. He didn't get that in order to achieve the greatest power one had to sacrifice every aspect of their lives. Sasuke still held onto his humanity. It was shameful, but he had been confident that with a little more work all traces of his compassion would have slipped away for good.

But then Itachi had entered the picture. It figured that the Akatsuki would send the one member that he himself hated the most. And Itachi's appearance caused more than one problem. Sasuke's volatile emotions could not be trusted around his elder Uchiha brother. If Sasuke saw Itachi, he would want to kill him…immediately. He was almost ready, even Sasuke knew that. All Sasuke had to do was find him…but if he had seen Itachi at Sound, he wouldn't have had to find him.

And he hadn't wanted Sasuke to kill Itachi just yet. He needed to take over Sasuke's body before he did and he still needed Itachi to aid in Konoha's downfall. So he had sent Sasuke away on missions he someone else could have easily accomplished, just to keep him from the truth. Sasuke had suspected something - oh, he had recognized that gleam in the Uchiha's eyes - but it hadn't mattered.

At least it hadn't mattered until Itachi decided to take things into his own hands. The Uchiha had always liked exerting a bit of control over his younger sibling's life. He had had no choice but to concede. The Akatsuki would have become suspicious if he had refused.

Itachi had thrust Sasuke together with his old team mates from Konoha…from back in his pathetic genin days. One was the Jinchuuriki himself, the one that had unknowingly instigated the entire movement. He remembered the Jinchuuriki for being rash and unnaturally attached to his teammates. He had been strong, thanks to the Kyuubi's power, but he wasn't as strong as Sasuke.

The other former teammate had been that insignificant kunoichi with the pink hair. When he had last seen her, she had been weak and forgettable. He knew that over the years she had become stronger. She had even assisted in the death of Sasori, his former partner in the Akatsuki. That was quite a feat; Sasori was no easy kill. But despite her skill, he had hardly spared a thought for her. She hadn't been his main concern.

The Jinchuuriki had. He had known that Sasuke had once considered the blonde boy to be his best friend and he had known that the Jinchuuriki would once again try to get Sasuke to return to them. And though he had been mildly worried that Sasuke would fall into old habits, it hadn't been too much of a concern. He had decided to leave Sasuke be until he had resolved all his details for the siege and until Sasuke was ready to come back, having found all his answers.

Perhaps that had been his mistake. Perhaps he had not worried enough. For not only had Sasuke helped his companions get answers and information, he had become far more attached to them than he ever thought he would. Especially the pink-haired one whose name he couldn't quite recall.

Now Sasuke and his companions were less than a day outside of Konoha and he had lost his element of surprise and the support of the Akatsuki. If the Akatsuki were anything, they were cautious and they were patient. If they knew there was even a chance that they would suffer from the execution of their plan, they would not risk the failure. And they would wait for another opportunity to arise and he would have lost his window. The Akatsuki had to be cautious; they had already lost too many of its members.

So there were only a few options left for them now. None of them were acceptable. None of them were beneficial.

He could wait for another opportunity to arise, but in another few months he had to take another body. If he took Sasuke's, he would have no choice but to act within a period of three years and the Akatsuki would never align themselves with him. It would be too much of a risk.

And if he waited to take Sasuke's body, he would lose Sasuke. Sasuke would go off and kill his brother and never return. And he would never receive the body he had so patiently waited for.

He could attack without the support of the Akatsuki, but with the element of surprise gone he would surely lose. The last time he had planned a siege they had had the element of surprise and still lost. He had only been confident that he would succeed this time because they had a double element of surprise and the Akatsuki, a formidable force as any. And Konoha was strong…possibly too strong. He doubted he could render the city under his control. No, he would not be able to.

So it seemed the best option was to take Sasuke's body and begin planning afresh. At least this time he would have eliminated the threat that Sasuke posed to his work. Sasuke would be gone.

And he had no doubt Sasuke would come back, at least long enough for him to take his body. Sasuke may have formed strong attachments to his companions, but no attachment would be strong enough to make him forget his revenge. He _would_ come back.

"Orochimaru-sama, how are we going to salvage the situation?"

Orochimaru glanced at Kabuto as he pushed his glasses up his nose; a usual habit of his. It seemed a harmless enough gesture, but Orochimaru knew better. Kabuto only pushed his glasses up his nose when he was scheming…and he was always scheming. Kabuto was only loyal to his own purposes and if he felt he would no longer obtain his purposes with Orochimaru, he would turn against him in a bid to align himself with someone better. He would have to keep an eye on him, too.

Orochimaru smiled slowly, "Patience. All will be revealed soon."

000

It was cold. Or perhaps it was just her. Naruto certainly seemed warm enough. But then again, it was almost impossible to wake Naruto from a dead sleep. Coldness certainly wouldn't succeed.

But it seemed as though the cold was coming from within her. It wasn't so much the air around her as it was a _feeling_. And she couldn't stop shaking.

Her mind was surprisingly calm. Her emotions were surprisingly under control. Perhaps the realization had not yet hit her because surely she should be bawling her eyes or something of that general nature.

She had lost Sasuke. He was there but he was gone; unsalvageable. The pain should have been unbearable and yet all she felt was strangely…hollow, like nothing really mattered anymore. She didn't want to eat. She certainly didn't want to sleep. All day all she had felt like doing was curling up into a little ball and just…lying there. But she hadn't because she couldn't and because she didn't want to worry Naruto. But once they were back in Konoha, she could.

Back in Konoha…without him.

She was horrified that she was actually giving up. What had happened to her? When she was younger she had refused to even consider that she would never see him again.

That was just it, though. She was older, less naïve, and wiser. She could no longer blindly hold onto hope that just wasn't there. She was no longer content with fooling herself with silly notions that if she just _believed_ it would happen. The world didn't work that way.

So she stared at the glowing embers of their makeshift camp fire and wondered how in the hell she was supposed to go on after this like everything was normal. Truth was - she'd never be the same. Yes, he had left before and that had changed her…but this was worse. Before she had never tasted what this kind of completion could feel like. She had almost found it with him…and now she was going to lose it all.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Sakura was about to reply 'shouldn't you?' when she realized just who it was that had spoken to her. She desperately tried to stop heat from rushing to her face and mentally pleaded her heart to, please, stop beating so damn fast. She couldn't think clearly through the noise it was making.

"Um…"

She didn't quite know what to say to him, because what did you say to the person you told you loved just mere hours before? She hadn't really thought on it earlier, assuming he would just not talk to her until he left. Wasn't that what he always did? Ignore the problem until it just went away? Or until _he_ just went away?

"Why aren't you sleeping?" It was more of a demand than a question and she wondered what in the world had gotten into him.

"I…couldn't."

It was best to use as simple answers as possible so she could give her brain sufficient time to catch up to her heart.

"Because of me, I'm assuming."

There was really no point in lying because it was entirely obvious that that was the case, but she couldn't quite bring herself to confirm it either.

"I'm sorry," he continued.

She was about to reply that it wasn't really his fault she was in love with him, but then she realized that he wasn't really apologizing about her lack of sleep. His tone was too…grave for that. He was apologizing for everything.

Good God, he was actually _apologizing_. Never in her life had she known Sasuke to apologize for _anything_. He was too proud and just simply didn't care enough.

And she had no idea what to say. 'Thank you?' 'It's okay?' 'Don't worry about it?' All of those seemed far too casual, far too dismissive.

Time dragged on as she racked her brain for the perfect answer, one that would aptly communicate everything she wanted to say to him. She wasn't just going to be rash and saying what came to her mind first. Sometimes what came to her mind first wasn't what she really meant. She had to think about this, damn it.

_Think, think._

And then she looked up at him just because she liked looking at him. His head was tilted towards the sky, looking at the stars, and his hair dropped down to his cheekbones; his skin was so pale and smooth and his jaw - God, his _jaw_ - and his lips were just so…she couldn't think…and she remembered what they felt like on hers and feeling bubbled up in the chest at the sight of it all and suddenly the words were just _there_, just waiting for her to say them.

"Are you sorry, Sasuke? Because I'm not."

And it was true. It was so true. She would rather know what heaven tasted like than forever wonder. It was better to have loved and lost than have never loved at all. She had always passed the old saying off as ideological, but now its meaning struck the very core of her being as an irrefutable truth.

He looked down at her, eyes wide. He hadn't expected that answer - that was certain.

His mouth opened and he looked as though he was about to say something, but then his eyes closed in silent resignation and his breath re-entered his body and she would never know. His tilted his head again to look up at the dark sky and was silent for moments that stretched into an eternity.

"You said you loved me."

"I do."

Sakura surprised herself with how fast and how automatically the words flew out of her mouth. It was just that her feelings for him were so…so _sure_ that she wanted him to know it too.

He swallowed deeply and she watched his throat move with a detached fascination. It was strange how watching him do anything was just so absurdly peaceful.

"Because you love me, I want you to promise me something…before I go."

His voice was soft yet powerful and sure and Sakura feared what he would require of her if she acquiesced.

"What is it you want me to promise?" she asked carefully, in measured tones.

He shut his eyes, once again in resignation to the fate he had chosen for himself.

"I want you to promise me that…" he took a deep breath, "that you'll be happy."

Tears sprung into Sakura's eyes and choked her throat and her eyes squeezed shut as a bittersweet tingling coursed through her veins. Without even thinking about it, her hand found Sasuke's where he had crossed them over his raised knees and slid it beneath their cool embrace. She just needed to touch him, to feel that he was there and she sensed somehow that he needed the contact as much as she.

His longs, slender fingers enclosed hers in a gentle caress and for a moment her mind left her.

"Promise me, Sakura," his voice was nothing but a whisper now, wracked with something that couldn't be anything other than sadness.

And she couldn't stand it, but how could she promise something she could never fulfil?

"I…How?" her voice broke and she clenched her jaw to keep her tears at bay. She turned her face away from him so he could not see her pain. He didn't need to see it. She didn't want him to know what he did to her.

"When you go back, you will forget about me. You will forget you ever loved me. You'll become even stronger than you are now and everyone will praise you for you're hard work."

She looked at him and he was smiling wistfully, his expression was one of reconciled complacency.

Then it was hard…and fiercely determined.

"And you will find someone else who deserves your love so much more than I do," his hands gripped hers tighter as his expression became almost pained, "and he will love you back. Eventually you'll get married and you'll have a family and the life I could never give you." His voice had dropped, as if he had struggled to get the words through his throat.

Sakura swallowed deeply, trying to control her emotions. He didn't want her to, she realised in wonderment. He didn't want her to find someone else. He just thought…he just thought it would make her happy so he told her to.

She shut her eyes.

_Oh, God…_

"Sasuke, I don't want-"

"Promise me!"

Suddenly his eyes were on hers and his expression was fierce and hard and unrelenting and his hand formed a death grip that was starting to hurt.

A betraying tear slipped down her cheek and she angrily wiped it away. "I can't," she replied in a broken whisper.

His eyes did not leave hers.

"Do you love me, Sakura?" he demanded.

Another tear made a cool trail down her cheek. "Yes," she whispered. He was killing her.

"Then say you'll do it for me. You must…" his voice broke off and his eyes shut again and never had he looked more vulnerable.

It occurred to her that she was actually seeing the side of Sasuke that he usually concealed underneath his intense hatred and need for revenge. She was seeing his true side…the side he didn't show anyone else. And he was asking this of her…no, he was practically pleading for her to do this for him. He _needed_ her to do this for him. She had no idea how she was going to accomplish it – how could she be happy when he wasn't there – but for his sake, she would try.

"Okay."

His grip on her hand immediately loosened and his shoulders visibly relaxed as he sighed in relief, like a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Sakura had the feeling she had just made it possible for him to leave.

000

It was done. He had done it. He had actually done it.

He had told her to be happy without him, to forget him and find someone else. It was like a great weight had been lifted off his heart. No doubt that weight had been guilt. But now a new weight had settled there - he didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay here, like this, with her.

_There's no point backing out now. It has been decided. It will be done._

It had to be done.

His purpose for being there was over, so started to stand to resume his watch…but Sakura's hand stopped him.

God, he loved the feel of her hand in between his. He loved the way his fingers totally enclosed hers. He loved how soft they were, how small and petite. He loved touching her, just being near her. But there was no use getting comfortable with it now.

He released her hand and was about to walk away, when her voice caught his attention.

"Sasuke…"

He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her words.

She bit her lip and looked down in hesitation, as if deciding whether or not she should say what she wanted to.

"Um…can you…I mean, if you can…I guess…um…woulditbeokayifIstayedwithyoutonight?"

Sasuke blinked at her. It took a few seconds for his brain to process her hurried words. It'd be in his best interests to refuse her request; he didn't need to have her with him the whole night and she certainly didn't need to be with him the whole night. That would totally go against everything he'd just made her promise.

But on the other hand, she just looked so lost and so utterly helpless sitting on the ground, staring up at him with those too-big green eyes. How _could_ he refuse?

He clenched an unclenched his jaw in indecision before answering, "Fine. Whatever."

Her smile made it all worth it.

She jumped up enthusiastically, wrapped her sleeping bag around her body and followed him to the circle of trees. He had been sitting up in one, but he didn't think that would be the most comfortable sleeping position for her and then he'd have to worry about keeping her from falling off, so he just sat at the base of the tree, his back against the thick trunk.

Sakura plopped down next to him in silence, about two feet away.

It was all Sasuke could do not to stare at her incredulously.

_Did I misinterpret, or didn't she say she wanted to stay with me tonight?_

After a few moments of deliberation, he decided he didn't really care what she meant and pulled her next to him, firmly clamping his arm around her waist. He figured she'd get cold sleeping by herself anyway. It was a chilly night…sort of. Not really. Whatever.

Sakura stared up at him in surprise, but obviously decided against protesting the arrangement and buried her head in his chest.

He didn't even bother waiting until her breathing grew steady before dropping a kiss on her hair because really, he just couldn't help it.

000

"Do you think it was wise to pull out of the agreement?"

"I do not think it would have been wise not to."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Kisame may have seemed as though he did not care less about Itachi's opinion, but Itachi knew better.

"Orochimaru was ill-prepared. He let the information get leaked. It would have been too risky to continue as things were."

Kisame shrugged nonchalantly, "Whatever. I'm just bummed about missing all that fun."

When Itachi didn't comment, Kisame spoke again.

"Do you ever think he realized? You know, that he actually didn't have the Akatsuki's support."

A soft smile touched Itachi's face, "If he had realized he would not have been so over-confident about his success."

Kisame chuckled darkly, "Bastard. Serves him right for thinking he can take the one-up on us!"

Itachi did not comment, but smiled secretly to himself behind the collar of his robe. Little had Orochimaru known that the Leader never pledged the support of the Akatsuki - he wouldn't have known until Itachi and Kisame and entered Konoha in the midst of the battle and taken the Jinchuuriki.

Every attempt they had made at securing the Jinchuuriki had failed thus far. He was always moving around too much and always with far too strong a shinobi by his side. The Fifth Hokage knew what she was doing. But there was no way they could protect the Jinchuuriki while the village was in the midst of turmoil. And while Orochimaru and his Sound nin kept the Leaf Village shinobi busy, he and Kisame would have take the Jinchuuriki with little opposition.

He had not cared whether Orochimaru won or not. He probably would not have succeeded because he would not have received any assistance. They were going to kill him as soon as they had completed their collection, so it mattered little what schemes he had concocted.

But now Sasuke had ruined their plans. He had moulded his brother into what he was today simply to present himself with the ultimate challenge…but now he was becoming more of a nuisance.

He had put Sasuke together with his old teammates in hopes that they would distract him until their plans had been perfected, but he had gotten a bit _too_ distracted. And Sasuke had had plans of his own; a combination that did not benefit Itachi in the least.

But Itachi had not been made aware of the development until it was too late to stop it and now Konoha would be prepared for the attack. If they were prepared for both Sound and the Akatsuki, there was no way he would be able to sneak in any longer. No doubt they would have Naruto doubly protected.

It seemed as though they would just have to wait for another opportunity to present itself.

The Leader would not be pleased.

000

Naruto grit his teeth as they breeched the top of the hill. He could see the gates from here…and the city behind them. That was it. Their time with Sasuke had run out.

For now, anyway.

He turned around to face Sasuke and Sakura, his hands on his hips, a massive grin on his face. His expression faltered slightly when he saw Sakura's expression…or lack of one. She seemed completely listless.

_What is this going to do to her?_

He too didn't like the fact that Sasuke was going to leave again, but he didn't see how he had much choice in the matter until Sasuke had exacted his revenge. That was okay; he had waited five years and he could wait a few more. He could be patient…sort of. Not really.

Well, it didn't matter at any rate. One of these days he was going to get that bastard to come back to Konoha and stay there for good. He'd just have to let Sakura know so all she had to do was wait as well.

And he should probably give the bastard a heads-up…just to be fair.

000

"So I guess this is it, huh?"

Sakura was surprised by Naruto's jovial tone. He acted like it didn't even matter.

"Go any further and the guards will catch sight of you!" he continued.

"I know," Sasuke replied, sounding faintly annoyed.

Naruto just grinned, "Well, see ya round, bastard! I'll be comin' for ya!"

Sakura bit her lip as pain squeezed her chest. The thing was, Sasuke was never coming back - Naruto just didn't know it yet. Sure, he may find him again, but by that time Sasuke would have severed all ties with them…once and for all.

Naruto started to walk down the incline, but paused when Sakura didn't follow.

"Come on, Sakura! We got some news to tell Granny Tsunade!"

Sakura couldn't help but smile at him. Oh, what she would give to have a fraction of his confidence and optimism.

"I'll…I'll catch up to you in a sec, Naruto," she called out more happily than she felt.

Naruto simply shrugged and continued down the slope.

Sakura took a ragged breath and turned to Sasuke for what would be the last time she would ever see him.

He was looking at her more intently than she had ever seen him look before and his eyes were slowly moving over her face, like he was memorizing every detail. That was okay - she was doing exactly the same to him.

She didn't think the full reality of what was happen had hit her yet. She was amazingly calm, her mind astonishingly empty of all thought. She just wanted to look at him and memorize everything about him. From the way his hair shone lighter in the sun to the way he stood so casually with his hands loose by his sides but yet still so alertly. From the way one side of his mouth almost curled into a soft smile when he was content to the way his shoulders looked under his white shirt. From the way his dark eyes seemed to get even darker when he was serious to the way he breathed. Every little detail. Even though she had promised him she would forget him, she ardently refused to. For her a life without Sasuke's existence was no life worth living and if he couldn't exist with her, he would exist in her thoughts and dreams and memories.

And then her hand was somehow touching his face, tracing the lines of his jaw, cheek bones…and lips. They were so perfect…she just wanted to remember what they felt like.

She wondered if she should say something and racked her brain for something relevant, but it was as empty as it had been before. Were there even words that could fit this? She didn't think so.

Just maybe…

"I love you."

A breeze rustled through the tree above them and moved through them, just making her that much more aware of the fact that she wasn't next to him…and the fact that she would never be again.

Emotion clogged her throat and she needed to leave now otherwise she wouldn't leave at all and she had to leave first because she didn't want to watch him walk away again…she couldn't. This time…this time _he_ could watch _her_ retreating back.

She lowered her eyes and inhaled, her breath shaking. Her hands were shaking too, now that she looked at them. And her knees. But her feet felt as heavy as lead.

_Move!_

She turned her body first, hoping that maybe her damned feet would get the message and move along too. Each step took greater effort than the last…and she had only taken two.

Sasuke had not spoken, had not tried to get her to stay, had not called her back. She didn't really expect him to…but God, how she wished he would.

Another step, another breath, another part of her heart she was leaving behind. And with each inch she moved forward she wished that she had had the guts to just feel him hold her one last time - the last time.

_You can do this…_

"Sakura…"

His voice held all the desire and yearning and heaviness she felt.

A sob broke out of her throat and she couldn't take it anymore. Suddenly her feet were as light as air as she ran back to him, desperately finding his lips with her own in what would be their last kiss.

Sasuke grabbed her with a desperation and urgency that startled her as he kissed back with a passion that startled her as well.

His heart was beating erratically beneath her hands as his heat seeped into her, warming her from the inside out. She clung to him as she would cling on to the edge of a bottomless precipice.

His lips did not release hers for what seemed like an eternity and a day, but when they finally separated, he didn't even pause to breathe before crushing her to him in an inescapable hold. He buried his face in her neck as she buried her face in his chest.

He kissed her neck and was mumbling something against her skin, but she could not hear it over the pounding rhythm of his heart. Tears stung her eyes but she fought to keep them there. She would be strong for him. She would.

They stood there for moments upon moments until everything in the world had faded but him.

Finally Sasuke released her from the prison of his arms and kissed her hair, her forehead, her lips.

"You should go," his voice was hoarse, rough.

Sakura nodded numbly, her eyes still closed lest she lose her floundering resolve at the sight of his face.

She drew a steely breath and looked squarely into his eyes. "Goodbye, Sasuke," she said, her voice shaking with unshielded emotion, "I love you."

Before she could change her mind, she turned and walked, focusing on nothing but putting one foot in front of the other.

When she was about a quarter of the length down and fairing quite well, all things considered, she was stopped again.

"Wait!"

She turned to look at Sasuke, her heart leaping at the fact that he had called out for her. Was he going to ask her to stay with him? Was he going to change his mind and stay with her?

"Goodbye, Sakura."

Her heart dropped to her stomach. No, of course he wasn't going to beg for her to stay. This was Sasuke. He would never do that, never stoop to such a level. And besides, she didn't mean enough to him. He cared for her and…and certainly liked her well enough, but he sure didn't -

"I love you."

000

A hint of a smile touched Naruto's sun-kissed face as he watched his two best friends embrace like only lovers would. There would be no one else for them, that much was certain. Sasuke may want her to find someone else, but that would be totally impossible. He had ruined her for any other man in every way. For her, no one would match up to him. No one would even come close.

He watched as Sakura started to walk away and then stop. She paused with her mouth agape for a mere few moments before bolting up the hill to reach Sasuke…but it was too late. He had disappeared, lost in a puff of smoke and mist.

Naruto's heart broke for her, for her despair, for her lost love. Not lost for long, though.

He knew Sakura thought he was naïve for believing Sasuke would return again. He knew he wasn't.

Because even though he may never find Sasuke…there was no doubt that Sasuke would find them.

**The End.**

…

**For now, anyway.**

**A/N: Like I said to one of my most avid readers in a PM, this story ends on a bit of a climax for Sasuke and Sakura and a bit of an anti-climax for the rest of the storyline. I hope you don't mind my dismissal, but I REALLY did not see the point in writing some grand battle that I would do no justice to and that has absolutely no significance to the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura. So for those who were expecting a battle...my deepest apologies. I'm just not that good at them.**

**Thanks for listening...(or reading)...**


	22. Epilogue Plus Summary

**A/N: So here's just a little bit of an epilogue. Nothing all that special about it; it kind of just concludes A Whisper in the Night a bit and sets the stage for A Shadow in the Darkness a little bit too. **

**And below the Epilogue is a sort-of summary for A Shadow in the Darkness. This one will have a bit more humour and less angst in it than A Whisper in the Night, but for those of you who like angst, don't fret. There will be some of that too! I just wanted to make the sequel a bit more fun and mix a bit of everything in it.**

**And before I officially conclude A Whisper in the Night, I want to thank all my readers, my reviewers and ESPECIALLY sasusaku 779. This story seriously wouldn't have been finished without your amazing support! You have excellent taste, my friend haha. I can't wait to hear your opinion on the finished product!**

**And for the last time...(for now)...**

**Enjoy!**

**Epilogue**

"I think we can safely assume that there will be no attack on Konoha."

Sakura shook her head and looked up at the Hokage. Her mind had been drifting the entire meeting. She knew she probably should pay attention- she _was_ the Hokage's trusted apprentice and they _were_ discussing the fate of Konoha and Naruto, who happened to be her best friend.

But it was just so hard to get excited about anything these days. She no longer found the joy she had in the things she had done before. Perhaps the deadness inside her would fade in time.

The question was - how much time?

"So are you saying we should abandon all posts and return to our regular routine?"

Sakura didn't quite register who had spoken – probably some old, experienced jounin.

She sighed.

This whole thing was a bore. It was fairly obvious that Orochimaru wasn't coming. She already knew he wasn't. It would be suicide. He was a crazy bastard, yes, but not a stupid one. Not _that_ stupid, anyway.

As arguments raged on around her, Sakura took the time to study her surroundings, more out of boredom than anything else. She supposed she could voice an opinion or two. She was fairly good at that. Sometimes people didn't listen because she was small and decidedly of the female persuasion, but she had ways to make people listen - many ways. And God only knew they should listen to her. Hell, wasn't she the one who had come to them with this information they were now arguing about?

Well, her and Naruto, of course. But Naruto was out and about somewhere doing something or other. He really should be there, with her, but whatever. His presence probably would have just caused more problems and therefore caused more arguments and therefore make the meeting last even longer. Naruto had a way of pissing people off - usually older people. Younger people just laughed at his antics.

God, he'd make an excellent Hokage. Those old fogies needed a swift kick up the ass sometimes.

She was about ready to do it herself when her eyes caught something unfamiliar or, more accurately, someone unfamiliar.

And this unfamiliar person was staring at her – intently - and even though she was now staring back, his eyes did not waver.

_He's a bold one._

Now that she really looked at him, she did get the feeling that she had seen him before…but couldn't quite remember where or when or how or anything else for that matter. He was young (he didn't look any older than her), he was fairly handsome and he was the only other person in the room who was sitting down besides her. No wonder he was staring at her - his fellow degenerate, also not bothering to delve into the wild world of village politics.

But then he smiled at her and the smile said something a _lot_ more than a mere 'I know how you feel' commiseration. She blushed and looked away and suddenly her mood worsened considerably.

Not because he had been staring at her because he thought she was pretty or attractive, but because she was entirely unaffected by it. If a good looking guy checked her out, her stomach should flutter and her face should heat up and she should blush out of shyness and not guilt.

She was ruined. Completely and utterly ruined and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

_So much for __that__ promise._

She hadn't known at the time that it would be so damn hard to keep - impossible, actually. Well, it didn't matter anyway. It wasn't like _he_ would pop around to make sure she kept her word.

She was about to settle into another bout of sighs when a shinobi burst into the room, panting like a dog with rabies.

"I request (pant) an audience, Hokage-sama (pant). It is (pant)…it is most urgent (pant)."

The Hokage looked around the room, probably wondering how the hell she was supposed to extricate herself from the council room.

"It is private?" she demanded.

The shinobi shook his head. It seemed he had fully recovered his breath, "No, Hokage-sama. Actually, I imagine it is something everyone in this council will need to know."

Sakura perked up in her seat. This was finally getting interesting.

"Speak," Tsunade barked.

The shinobi took a deep breath before spilling the awaited news.

"Orochimaru is dead."

000

Sasuke stared down at the corpse at his feet. He could barely identify it…whatever the creature was.

Orochimaru's true form. To be honest, it was a bit of a letdown. He had been expecting – no - looking forward to what he thought would be an interesting fight. But Orochimaru had gone down easier than he had expected.

He had always planned on killing the scaly bastard, but his plans had been moved up a bit once it had been made clear that Orochimaru had no intention of waiting any longer for his promised body.

_Promise my ass._

He was about as likely to follow through with that promise as he was to return to Konoha.

Which was not at all.

Now it was time to hunt his brother down and end it. He was ready. He knew he was. He could feel the adrenalin pumping through his veins. He felt more alive than he had in weeks; more alive than he had since…

But he wouldn't think about that, about _her_. No, he would only think of what was to come. And _she_ was not part of what was to come.

Only the promise of retribution; sweet retribution and blood.

000

**A Shadow in the Darkness**

000

_Sasuke._

If only life were as simply as he wished it to be. He would not have to be disappointed. He would not have to feel unnecessary pain. He would not have to find out after years of believing otherwise that he was still in love.

But it did not matter. It didn't. He had walked away before…twice. What was one more time? And besides, she seemed less than inclined to rekindle anything so why should he bother?

He had accomplished his ultimate goal…but another one had presented itself to him. One he could not ignore. Itachi wasn't the only one responsible for his clan's surmise and he was damned if they were not fully avenged.

It was time to go after the instigator. It was time to go after Uchiha Madara.

It hardly mattered that Sakura was along for the ride.

000

_Sakura._

Just when she had come to terms with being with a guy she didn't love and living a life without _him_ in it, _he_ just had to come back and ruin her fragile rapport. Didn't he know what this would do to her? Did he have any idea what would happen? How the hell was she supposed to let him go again?

But then again, he seemed in no hurry to dredge up their past…and all that was said then. In fact, he seemed entirely unaffected by her presence. A wise lady had once told her that one could never fall out of love. Well…she was wrong because Sasuke obviously had.

That was fine. Just fine. She would go on with her life and she would ignore his presence…to the best of her ability.

It certainly didn't help that they were going to be stuck together for an undisclosed period of time. At least it wasn't just her and him because, quite frankly, she didn't think she would be able to stand being alone with him and not attack him…with her lips. God, he was sexy…

But that didn't matter. It didn't. If he wanted to act like he had never said 'I love you' then that was just dandy with her because she wasn't too bad at acting either. Hadn't she being doing just that these past two years? Yes, she had. So she'd keep doing it until he left.

And she would not cry. She wouldn't.

And she definitely would not fail.

000

_Naruto._

"I knew he'd come back."

**A/N: Okay, so that's that! I hope you're getting interested in A Shadow in the Darkness! But before I write that, I will be writing three Interludes which cover the other pairings I favour. I decided to do this because there was no room for the other pairings in A Whisper in the Night and also because there is a two-year time gap between the original and sequel so I wanted to emphasize that by writing a few different short stories in the middle. **

**Interlude One: Neji and Tenten: **Tenten thought she knew all there was to know about being a reliable kunoichi...but when she receives a mission she never thought she'd get, she finds out she was so wrong.

**Interlude Two: Ino and Shikamaru: **Ino didn't know why she loved Shikamaru, she just did. And now she had to get him to love her. But how the hell was she supposed to do that when he was immune to every trick in the book?

**Interlude Three: Naruto and Hinata: **Naruto had never really noticed Hinata. She was the shy girl that faded into the background and he was the in-your-face guy nobody could ever forget. So why was he suddenly so weirdly attracted to her and what was he supposed to do about it when her clan was adamantly against their match?

**So yeah...I hope you guys read those too because that would be really great and it will make me start A Shadow in the Darkness just that much faster.**

**Till next time!**


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